


Catch Me If You Can

by Skye_Willows



Series: Down The Rabbit Hole [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Case Fic, Connor & Niles Are Twins, M/M, Moral Ambiguity, Moral Dilemmas, Mystery, Reed900 Big Bang, reverse au, terrible humour
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-08-11 14:21:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 32,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20155018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skye_Willows/pseuds/Skye_Willows
Summary: Detective Niles ‘Nines’ Anderson is put on the case of hunting down an untraceable thief known as the ‘White Rabbit’, but he’s caught off guard when his mark decides to taunt him at every scene when Niles is alone.As Niles dives into the mystery behind the unknown and unheard of GV900 android, he finds himself wondering if he really wants to imprison his elusive thief…Or whether he wants to claim him in another way entirely.





	1. Meet The Rabbit

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! At long last, it's time for my entry to the Reed900 Big Bang!
> 
> So, this is my first foray into Reverse AU. This story was an absolute blast to write and I had so much fun with it. Not to mention getting the chance to work with my amazing artists, Miro and Laurie! They've done incredible pieces of art for this fic and I'm blown away by them. Miro's art is attach to this chapter, please come check Miro out [here](https://twitter.com/noscrofopo)! I'll add a link for Laurie's art and Twitter when it crops up in Chapter 3.
> 
> Just so you all have an idea of who I've switched around for this fic, here's everyone's swaps:
> 
> Connor ⇌ Hank (HK800)  
Nines ⇌ Gavin (GV900)  
Markus ⇌ Chris (CR400)  
North ⇌ Tina (TN600)  
Josh ⇌. Ben (BZ200)  
Simon ⇌ Wilson (WL300)  
Amanda ⇌ Fowler  
Chloe ⇌ Elijah (EJ100)

** _Good morning Detroit! It’s 8:32am and it looks like we’re in for another scorcher today! I’m sure you’re all grousing at the morning rush hour and are not wanting to hear about the glorious sunshine you’ll be missing, so here’s this morning’s headlines. _ **

** _There was another reported break-in of the former CyberLife warehouses last night. Since the successful android uprising last November led by the CR400, Chris, the estate has been sold off and repurposed to private storage. Security is once again coming under scrutiny, however, after the seventh raid on the site in as many months. _ **

** _Authorities are as yet still refusing to comment on speculation of a serial thief, despite this following the same trend as previous thefts. If the stolen goods are in the same value range as reported in prior incidents, this thief’s fortune would now rank somewhere in the range of several million dollars-_ **

“Is that seriously the best they’ve got to report on at this time of the morning?” Niles muttered under his breath while snapping the dial of the radio to mute the sound, instead flicking over to his music playlist instead. Something, anything, to break the monotony of this traffic that he was stuck in. 

This was why he hated 9am starts, he’d much rather go back to his favoured 6 in the morning. With his brother having elected to take Niles over to his new Android Crimes division, however, that wasn’t Niles’ choice to make anymore. It was times like this that he wished Connor had just left him to the monotony of Homicide – though most of the people he actually got on with were part of their new division.

Huh, maybe Connor had done him a favour after all. Connor now got to reconnect with a lot of the officers that he’d distanced himself from while he was in his overworking and anti-social phase, while Niles had to put up with less assholes. It was almost a win-win.

_ Almost. _

The downside was that he was now getting _ way _too involved with android politics, courtesy of Connor and his new partner/boyfriend, Hank. He had zero time for politics of any kind – that had been the main swinging point between himself and Connor when the two of them had been up for promotion to Lieutenant after their massive red ice bust. Not that Niles had wanted it anyway, he was quite happy just solving crimes and going home. It was almost an everyday occurrence that one or more of the famous Jericho androids showed up at the precinct now, mostly to check in on various investigations and to catch up with Hank.

Niles liked Hank, now that he was deviant anyway. Before he’d been a bit too grumpy and snappish, but he actually now had a very dry and self-depreciative sense of humour; not to mention he knew how to stop Connor from being self-destructive. So, yeah, Hank was all right – Niles was glad to see Connor more like the bright and witty person he’d been before the cursed promotion that had started his twin’s vicious spiral.

So, yeah, he might moan about the morning traffic now that he had to deal with people – again, he missed Homicide cause dead bodies didn’t _ talk _– but things were definitely on the up.

Or at least that’s what he had thought until he finally made it in that morning. 

Traffic had proved to be so impossible that Niles had phoned Connor to let him know that he’d be late, only to find out that Markus and Simon were also running behind. That made him feel a little better, but that didn’t stop him getting a predictable tease from North as he _ finally _got through the security gates. “Well, look what the cat dragged in,” she smirked, catching the attention of the rest of their squad. 

Josh gave a small but distracted wave as he kept focus on his terminal while Connor and Hank looked over. When Hank smirked and Connor’s smile was entirely too innocent, Niles had a _ bad _feeling. “Hey Nines,” Connor greeted while standing up from his desk, file in hand. “How was rush hour?”

“Goddamn awful and you know it,” Niles snapped while eyeing the manila folder suspiciously. “New case?”

“Well, sort of,” Connor explained. “Fifth Precinct had this case for a few months, but they’ve gotten nowhere. It was sent over to us two weeks ago, but new evidence has seen it be forwarded to us.” He held out the folder but Niles still refused to take it.

“Come on, Nines, it ain’t gonna bite,” Hank quipped, to which Niles looked over and noticed the HK800 had a new hairstyle: cropped short rather than his signature ponytail. He raised an eyebrow at the change, wondering what brought that about before the continued smirk solidified the sinking feeling in his stomach. 

“I might bite if it’s a piece of shit case,” Niles sighed while snatching the folder from Connor’s hands. He’d not even got through two paragraphs before closing it and throwing it at Hank, who deftly caught it. “Not a chance. Find someone else to take this,” he growled while heading to his desk.

Connor sighed while taking back the file that Hank offered with a sympathetic smile. “Ni, come on,” the lieutenant asked earnestly, sitting on the edge of the desk. “There’s so much going on right now, and you’re the one who wanted to take a case away from the politics. This is much more low key-”

“I’m not doing it Connor, give it to Markus and Simon,” Niles told him sharply while typing angrily on his keyboard. “Or North and Josh, I am not going hunting after a thief.” He finally stopped his finger stomping of the keys to look at his twin. “Why are we investigating it anyway?”

Now realising that Niles was intrigued, Connor put the folder back down and opened it so his twin could take a closer look. “While looking through the evidence, they came to the conclusion that an android was the most likely culprit. Fifth precinct thought they were looking at an organised crime syndicate until they realised that five more robberies in some more expensive households all had a tying clue to the heists at the storage units.”

A collection of photographs were situated on the next page, and the connection was obvious. “The thief leaves behind a stuffed white rabbit?” Niles asked sceptically.

“It seems to be their signature,” Hank said while striding over. “Every theft at the old CyberLife warehouses has had all the CCTV and surveillance systems going down during the robbery itself without tripping any alarms. It looked like an organised attack on the security system until it was realised that these house thefts all have the same issue. Alarms and CCTV deactivated and wiped without so much as a hint of anything being amiss.”

“Even foot patrols at the warehouses showed up nothing,” North added. “Whoever this son-of-a-bitch is, they’re good.”

Niles glared at her. “Why do you know so much about this case if you aren’t on it?” he asked sharply.

Josh chuckled from his desk. “Because she’s jealous: she wants it to get off the nightmare that is organising protection for the Jericho androids after all the recent vandalism cases at their housing blocks.”

North’s stare in reply was icy. “I’m sorry, you try dealing with that trigger happy Tina! Fuck knows she does my head in,” she muttered lowly.

“Gee, I wonder why,” Nines drawled, leaning out of the way of the predictable cup of coffee thrown at the detective following his quip. Hank shook his head and chuckled, still bemused by the interactions of the humans which he was now employed with.

“All right, knock it off you lot,” Connor barked while giving his twin a harsher stare. “Nines, this is not up for debate, all right? Everyone else has cases and this is now a priority for our department. If you’ve got an issue, take it up with Captain Stern – though bitching to Amanda about your assignment will not endear you to her.”

“Whether I am in the Captain’s good books is not in my interest,” Niles spat while standing. “I am not being sent to try and chase this so-called ‘White Rabbit’, there are much more pressing cases which I can be applied to and you know it.”

“Wow, ego much?” Hank prodded, but Niles didn’t say anything back to him. Hank was the one person Niles knew would deck him in a second without so much as a guilty thought, the HK800 was not subtle about making his feelings known. 

“This isn’t the end of the matter,” Niles told his brother while striding over to the Captain’s office.

“Hate to break it to you, Ni, but it is,” Connor sighed while walking back to his desk. “Come see me when you’ve got your dressing down from Amanda and want the rundown on the case.” Niles gave a humourless snort before knocking on Captain Stern’s door.

Fifteen minutes later he came back out with a fiery glare, but mutely went over to Connor’s desk for the full details – much to everyone’s amusement. North’s cackling stopped only when Niles threw Connor’s stapler at her head.

* * *

“So…a serial android thief, huh?” Markus wondered as he and Simon followed Niles beyond the police tape of their latest scene. Niles had spent the whole morning and the entirety of the afternoon going over the whole case, looking for every tiny detail about this ‘White Rabbit’. The shocking thing about it was just how little they had to go on, even after so many thefts. 

As much as North had been just riling him up earlier, she did point out one thing that was very much true. Whoever this thief was, they knew what they were doing and how not to get caught.

“Sounds stupid, I know, but the facts do seem to support the theory of an android being the culprit,” Niles explained as they took a look around the busted storage unit. “The seemingly untraceable hacking of all the security at each location, lack of forced entry on any of the locks, electronic or traditional, and complete absence of DNA and fingerprints makes it the most probable solution.”

“But why do this?” Simon asked as they split up to look at different sections of the container. “All of these crimes seem to be very low key and the thief takes only the most high value items from each location rather than go for a large haul.”

“Seems like they aren’t looking for recognition, unusual with someone who aims for exclusively rich targets,” Markus stated while comparing the manifest in his hand with the gaps in front of him to work out what had been placed there. “But a monetary motivation makes no sense on two fronts. One, an android has no need for it, and two, why not make more frequent hits? The timing of the heists is quite well spaced.”

“Long enough for them to sell all their spoils on the black market,” Niles pointed out. “Snatch something, sell it on and then look for more targets.”

“Do you think they’re being hired to acquire certain items?” Simon suggested. “All of the missing items have values of several thousand dollars each.”

“And this is all well-organised and pre-planned. Wouldn’t surprise me if they’ve got some sort of extra info,” Markus added. “Maybe looking at an inside job?”

“Doubtful given that they’re targeting houses as well as storage units,” Niles said while looking over the security lock. Still working and no damage whatsoever. “Lock was hacked and is still operational. No evidence of tampering.”

“Could this be a human-android combination?” Markus offered. “Human picks the targets and the android pulls off the heist?”

“Possible,” Niles conceded. “Let Connor and Hank know, see if Hank can learn anything from Jericho. With Chris’ influence, he’s the most likely to find out if any androids are up to anything.”

“Copy that,” Simon said while stepping outside to make the call. 

Once he was gone, Markus came up to clap Niles on the shoulder. “I heard that Stern gave you a bit of an earful earlier,” he started softly. “You okay?”

Niles sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he said back begrudgingly. “This case looked like a heap of nonsense to start with, but Connor knows me too damn well. The minute he ran me through it he could tell it had my interest.” He smiled mockingly. “He spouted all this bullshit about finding a non-political case for me, but he knew this would be something for me to sink my teeth into.”

“Well, Connor isn’t Lieutenant for nothing. He does have this way with people.”

That earned a raised eyebrow from the Anderson twin. “Is that a veiled swipe at me, saying that I have no people skills?”

“There’s a reason you don’t have a partner, Nines,” Markus chuckled.

“Yes, that’s because the only option was North and I’d sooner toss her in a cell and break the lock than be partnered with her bitch-ass. God knows how Josh puts up with her.” Markus barked out a laugh as Simon came back inside, his expression serious. 

“I let Connor know about our theory, he agrees its worth investigating. He’s suggesting we start by looking for any ex-CyberLife employees who know about this place and may have connections to any of the victims. Hank’s getting in contact with Chris, just to ask him to keep an ear out,” Simon said while releasing a long breath. “Looks like this case could be a long one.”

“A good challenge then,” Niles stated dryly, earning a huff of amusement from the other two. “I need a smoke before we tackle more of this. Give me five and I’ll be back.”

Markus and Simon both nodded at the detective, Niles leaving his co-workers to analyse the scene in more details as he wandered a hundred or so metres away to light up. At least here Connor couldn’t nag him about it, and he knew Markus and Simon wouldn’t say a word. The major advantage to having a team that respected Niles and Connor as individuals, rather than being blinded by their reputations and familial connection, was that they had each of the brothers’ backs in different ways. 

He might moan a lot about their little group, but Niles had felt more peaceful in his job than he had since he and Connor were split up as partners after his twin’s promotion. No-one else had just accepted Niles as the grumpy, snarky and driven asshole that he is. Their team did, and they didn’t expect him to act like the ‘model cop’ that Connor was. They each had their own styles and Niles knew how he liked to get the job done. Whatever it took to close the case, he would do it.

Just as Niles finished his cigarette, he heard a clatter from a few shipping crates away. Instantly on alert, he pulled out his handgun and began advancing. He crept forward stealthily, thanking his natural lightness on his feet, and stopped as he came to the edge of where the sound was emanating from. Niles pressed himself right up against the metal casing to try and listen to what was going on inside, but everything instantly went silent.

“You ain’t that subtle, dipshit.”

Niles jumped at the voice from above and snapped his gun upwards, but there was no-one there. Just he was thinking that he was starting to hear things, Niles realised there was a shadow on the top of the crate now immediately behind him. He swung around and pointed the gun at it, but the shadow dove away behind the other side. “Stop! Detroit police!”

Giving chase, Niles flashed around to the other side of the crate but his mysterious company was gone without a trace. His eyes scanned the area studiously, but he couldn’t find a thing. Niles gave a frustrated snarl as he lowered his gun, only to hear Simon shout from their scene. 

“Nines! You all right?”

The detective wandered back out from between the containers, raising a hand for Simon. “I’m fine, just thought I saw something. You two all good?,” Niles shouted across while holstering his gun. 

“We think we’ve found something! You good for giving us a hand?”

Just as Niles was about to yell in reply, he saw the shadow out of the corner of his eye again. It was back, perched atop the far crate again. Regarding it warily, Niles turned back to Simon. “I’ll be there in a minute.” He could see Simon nod, and went back inside between the crates slowly. His shadow stood from its crouched position and flipped around, dropping so that it was bent over the edge of the crate and hanging by its knees.

Still wary, Niles stopped a couple of metres away. Now that he was unarmed, his strange company seemed less hesitant, and if anything, curious. It was impossible to miss the large blue android logo and bright armband, but Niles wondered if it was a decoy. Keeping an LED as a statement of individuality wasn’t too uncommon, but keeping the android identifiers such as the armband and CyberLife emblem was more than a little unusual.

“What the fuck kind of name is ‘Nines’?” the mysterious android(?) asked, instantly drawing a scowl from Niles.

“I would ask what right you have to judge my name without knowing yours,” the detective shot back.

The stranger snorted. “Wow, bitchy one, aren’t you? And here I was, thinking that the DPD was finally taking things seriously.”

“Taking things-” Then it clicked for Niles. “Are you this ‘White Rabbit’ that I’ve been tasked with bringing in?”

Seeing someone shrug while hanging upside down was more than a little odd from the opposite perspective. “Maybe I am, maybe I ain’t. You can’t prove shit, _ Detective.” _

Niles snarled and drew his gun, but the other man flipped back up the side of the crate so fast that it almost made Niles’ head spin.

_ Definitely an android, _ he thought. _ No human has those reflexes. _

He was now perched on the edge of the crate, ready to bolt, but Niles lowered his gun again at seeing the android’s posture. “Came back for another bite at the cherry, did you?” he asked blandly, wondering if he could keep it talking long enough for Simon and Markus to come investigating. 

“Nah, I came to see who the new faces were. You aren’t as dour as the last lot who were snouting around,” he replied lightly with a smirk. 

The detective actually snorted at the snarky response. “Oh? And what are we?”

“Mildly interesting, and you actually know how to use your _ eyes. _Makes this more fun.”

That earned an amused smile from Nines. Okay, even if this was his thief, he actually liked the android’s individuality. He had a lot of fire and attitude, that was something Niles respected. “So this is all a game to you, is it?” he challenged, lowering his gun even further but not stowing it again.

“Well, there’s no appeal to stealing if there’s not the chance of getting caught – that’s half the fun,” he shot back, to which Niles’ eyes sharpened.

“You do realise you just admitted to being a thief, correct?”

A confident smirk was not what Niles expected as an answer. “My word against yours, asshole. Now that androids are people, you need proof if you’re going to nail me with anything. And I _ know _you’ve got nothing.”

“Cocky one, aren’t you?” Niles chuckled.

“Just know what I’m doing is all.” The android’s smile quickly faded as he glanced over the crates to Niles’ left, but he then looked down again with a wink. “Well, this was fun, ‘Nines’. Fuck knows that’s a stupid name…I think this is about to become a challenge now.” He leapt to the edge of the crate in one fluid movement that had Niles impressed. “Catch me if you can, dipshit,” he signed off with an exaggerated salute.

With that, the android vanished into the twilight of the oncoming night, leaving Niles intrigued by the whole experience.

Markus appeared only two seconds later, looking concerned. “Nines, the hell is taking you so long?”

Niles’ schooled his expression into something more bland as he toyed with what to say. “Just thought I had a lead is all,” he settled on. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you both wait. Simon said you two had something?”

The pair wandered back to their original crime scene, but Niles’ mind stayed on the highly fascinating android that seemed to be the elusive ‘White Rabbit’. He instantly had Niles’ attention, and the detective was actually wondering if this perp would prove to be a worthy adversary. 

He had the feeling he’d be seeing his thief again soon. _ Very _soon.


	2. Breadcrumb Trail

It didn’t take long for another case about the ‘White Rabbit’ to drop into their laps. In fact, it was only a week. 

Niles had barely wandered into the bullpen that morning when he found himself being smacked on the back of the head by a manila folder, the wide smirk of North appearing on his left. “Hah! See, I’m not too short to get a lick in at you!” she cawed while dumping the file on his desk and sauntering off to her own.

Sighing before he took a long drink of his coffee, Niles closed his eyes to block the world out as he kept his headphones in. “I’m not awake enough for this bullshit,” he mumbled before dropping unceremoniously into his chair and shoving the folder away out of spite. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and pulled it out, only to see it was an emoji with the tongue sticking out from North. He flipped her off, unimpressed, before deciding to open his emails for the morning. Thank fuck he still had his music on, her laugh wasn’t quite as grating as it might have been.

It was another ten minutes before a new shadow crossed his desk, and Niles was tempted to ignore it until the figure didn’t budge. His eyes rose to see Hank staring at him with what Niles could swear was a smirk. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t, he really didn’t care at that moment. “Can I help you, Hank?” he asked impatiently. 

Hank snorted before pointing down to the folder that Niles had turned into a glorified coffee mat. “That wasn’t to your taste then?” he teased.

“ _ What  _ wasn’t to my taste?” Niles grumbled while turning his attention back to studying some results he’d been sent across about the White Rabbit’s haul of treasures. He had to admit he was impressed, and a little envious. The Rabbit had made off with several million dollars at the DPD’s lowest estimate, let alone what he might have earned in some more lucrative corners of the black market. Almost sounded like an appealing change of career at that moment.

“Your Rabbit’s back.” Hank was now  _ definitely  _ smirking at how quickly Niles shifted his drink and flipped open the case file. Stupidly perceptive android.

“What do we know?” All business now, his foul mood forgotten for the moment. He was on this case now and he wanted to find the Rabbit again. Those stupid misty eyes were something that Niles was reluctant to admit he’d been thinking about since their little clandestine meeting at the last crime scene. Maybe he’d get the chance to speak with the android again if Niles could find somewhere they could be left uninterrupted.

…He was seriously contemplating making himself an open target for a serial thief just so he could  _ talk  _ to him? 

_ For fuck’s sake, Niles. Get your damn head on straight! _

“They found another Rabbit crime scene in one of the houses in the west district. Fun fact, the place had been suspected of being a halfway point for money laundering by some big time drug dealers. No reported robbery, but a neighbour phoned it in after hearing the alarm go off,” Hank told him.

Niles scowled up at him. “Our thief is getting careless?”

Hank’s smirk grew. “Nah, here’s the juicy bit. All the CCTV in the area went dead at 03:04 this morning and came back up at 03:21. The alarm went off at 03:31.”

“He set it off on purpose after the theft,” Niles realised in wonder.

“Looks that way. Given that the ‘owners’ are conveniently uncontactable now that they know there’s been a reported robbery, you’re only going to get in for a few hours to survey the place and see what’s odd about it. See if there’s anything that might tip you off as to what the Rabbit took before it gets handed over to investigate the money laundering. Connor’s working on getting you extended access right now, but that’s going to be more than a day’s work.”

Nodding while standing, Niles threw his coat back on and grabbed his coffee. “I’ll call him on my way over there. Is anyone joining me at the scene?” 

“Well, you’ve got me or North, take your pick.”

Niles froze as he stared at Hank with narrowed eyes, trying to work out if the android was joking: he looked deadly serious. “I’ll take a bridge in that case,” he sighed.

“Bitch!” North shouted indignantly from her desk as Hank howled in laughter before giving Niles a wink. 

“Markus and Simon are already there, Nines, have fun,” Hank taunted as the Anderson twin left with a scowl, angry that he’d fallen into the trap of thinking Hank was serious.

Goddamn that HK android for being a master troll. He was  _ not  _ in the mood for this shit today.

* * *

The scene was a complete mess, and Niles really couldn’t be bothered fighting with Connor as to what he was and wasn’t allowed to do while jurisdiction was being argued between the DPD and the FBI, now that they’d confirmed the house was registered under the suspected alias of a wanted drug lord. He’d taken one look at the bitch fest going on at the gates, spied Markus and Simon lurking with smirks and had wandered over to them instead.

Niles gave an exaggerated yawn that he made sure Connor saw, and the scowl he received in response was at least the start of fair recompense for this nonsense. 

Simon was snickering while Markus rolled his eyes at Niles’ antics. “That good a day, Nines?” Markus asked him in amusement. “It’s barely got started and already you look like you want to go tell it to fuck off.”

“That’s because I do, Markus,” Niles said while casting a surveying eye over the surroundings. “But, I am here regardless. What are we looking at?”

“Well, this one’s a bit different from the Rabbit’s other heists, in that we’ve no idea what we’re looking at having been taken, really,” Simon explained as they wandered inside. “Same MO: no obvious signs of entry, no traces left behind and a stuffed white rabbit left by the front door. I can’t help but wonder why they set off the alarm though, because from the CCTV blackout it looks like our thief was already gone by the time it was triggered.”

“Could be a taunt? Since we’re making so little progress on finding the Rabbit they might be deciding to stick the knife in,” Markus offered.

“Doesn’t really make sense given their previous heists though. The thief’s never shown any interest in provoking the DPD before – why would they now?”

Simon’s words struck something in Niles and he wandered over to take a closer look at the stuffed white rabbit. He slipped on a pair of latex gloves as he handled it, making a careful visual analysis before picking it up. As he did so, he found a small business card attached on the bottom with a child’s sticker. Curious, Niles picked it off and stared at the shiny apple before looking at the card.

It was the card of a shipping company based downtown, with the name of one of the finance directors on it. The name was circled in bright pink highlighter, and when Nines flipped it over he found a six digit code on the back.

**9 – 3 – 2 – 7 – 1 – 9 **

“Markus, Simon,” Niles shouted over. “Have we found a safe of any description on the property?”

The other two looked at him curiously. “Yeah, there was one upstairs. What you thinking, Nines?” Simon asked. 

With a deft flick of the wrist, Niles spun the card to Markus. “Punch in that code, see if it works. I’m going to have a little look around outside, see if there’s anything else that our thief left behind. Call me when you’ve got an answer.”

“Whoa, wait- Nines!” Markus’ shout fell on deaf ears as Niles headed further inwards, walking towards the patio doors. Niles heard him sigh in irritation and waited until he was sure the other two were gone before sliding the glass doors open, stepping out into the mid-morning sun.

Sure enough, at the very far corner of the garden was an apple tree. And right at the top was the familiar flash of a white hoodie. After casting a final cursory eye to make sure he was alone, Niles strolled over and watched as his White Rabbit dropped down a couple of branches to make eye contact with him. 

“Well, that didn’t take you long,” the android complimented with a smirk. “Figured I’d be out here another thirty minutes at least before you twigged.”

“I’m not your average detective,” Niles snarked back with a smile. 

“Clearly.” The pair’s smug grins didn’t shift for a couple of seconds before the android spoke again. “I like you, you’re kinda fun, Nines.”

Niles scoffed. “Why, because I actually have a brain?”

“No, ‘cause you’re trying to work out the ‘why’ beyond the ‘how’. All the rest of these shitheads have been so caught up in trying to catch me that they’re not looking beyond what I’ve taken.”

_ Interesting. So he  _ ** _does _ ** _ have a motive. _

“The calling card was a nice touch. I’m guessing you tripped the alarm to make sure we found it,” Niles offered. The android winked at him, and Niles refused to dwell on how he felt his heart speed up at that. Fuck, what was  _ wrong  _ with him? “You going to tell me what’s in that safe upstairs or who the man’s name is that you’ve circled?”

“Nah, I think you can figure both of those out. You’ll know one of those answers already.” The android shifted so that he was hanging from the tree branch by his knees, coming to a stop pretty much at Niles’ eye line. This close up his eyes were even more striking, and this time the hood of the android’s jacket slipped a little to let Niles see the chestnut hair underneath. All the more details he could use in working out just who it was that he was dealing with.

“Why leave us that clue? Are you getting bored and wanted to stir the nest?” Niles wondered, only to realise he was way off the mark when the other man’s eyes narrowed in disappointment.

“Hell no, I’ve been bored for months. Just cause you’re involved now doesn’t change jack shit. This place was an easy target that came onto my radar, wasn’t going to pass the opportunity up,” he snapped and crossed his arms, but didn’t move. It was a challenge to keep going.

So Niles did. “All right, so it wasn’t a slight at us. Which means you didn’t want our attention to be on you…You wanted it on this place,” he recognised, to which the android started smirking. “Issues with the brains behind this operation?”

“Now you’re catching on,” the android smiled. “Is it so hard to believe that my motivations aren’t entirely selfish?”

“You’re a thief, you steal from others,” Niles pointed out.

“That’s why I added the  _ entirely,  _ dipshit.” The pair were locked in another staring contest, but both of them started to smirk as it went on. They were enjoying their little game. “Well, hate to cut and run, but you’re about to get summoned back.” He gave a little mock salute. “Enjoy what you find, Nines, I’ll see you after my next heist.”

The android flipped back to his feet as Niles watched him curiously. “What makes you think that I won’t simply arrest you next time?” he asked lightly.

The knowing smirk and wink was as much an irritation as it was appealing. “Cause you didn’t this time. You want to know more about me: I’m a puzzle for you to solve. And until you do…you’re gonna keep wanting to meet me.”

Niles snorted. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m not into guys that I don’t even know the name of, I’m not that type.” It was only afterwards that he realised just how that came across.  _ Shit. _

Contrary to what he expected, the android paused and looked at him inquisitively. “Huh, didn’t expect that. That all it’s gonna take to keep your interest going?”

“And if it is?” Niles really wasn’t sure just how much of this was a game now. Something about this interaction had…shifted. Their barbs had become less about getting a rise out an opponent and more about learning who lurked beneath the façade. 

They stood in awkward silence for a moment before the android gave him a slightly guarded look. “Guess we’re gonna see just how intrigued you really are then, detective. You know how to find me.” 

With that, the android leapt out the other side of the tree and slid down a grassy hill, vanishing into the surroundings as he sped away with incredible agility.

Niles really wasn’t sure quite what to make of it all; seconds later he heard Simon shouting for him and he left the garden, deep in thought. There was something in that conversation that he was going to have to think about in more detail later.

As suspected, when he got upstairs he found that Simon and Markus had successfully opened the safe, but he was surprised by the note left behind in flowing handwriting. This must have been when his thief meant, this is why he’d left them the trail of breadcrumbs. What was his game?

** _So, are you idiots gonna ask a guy why he had $12 million just casually sitting in a safe in an empty house? Talk about easy takings!_ **

Now that was in interesting question…but it also meant that their Rabbit had just escaped with a  _ very  _ attractive haul. 

Shit, Connor wasn’t going to like this one; so much for seeing his thief brightening his day.

* * *

The Rabbit’s hints pointed them towards a much larger conspiracy than law enforcement had originally foreseen, and it soon became clear that the man their thief had pointed them to was a go-to for lots of criminals needing to shift large amounts of money. Niles couldn’t help but be intrigued as to the motivation behind it, but things got really interesting once their man clicked that the DPD had come for him because some of the money had been stolen.

He’d quickly offered up a list of everything in the property in return for protection. And with it they’d realised that their thief had made away with a lot more than just the money in the safe.  _ Far  _ more.

Niles was studying a report sent down from their IT experts, four days after the heist, when Connor came over with a tired expression. “Ni, I need to talk to you,” he asked softly, and Niles instantly realised something was wrong from Connor’s tone and body language.

Giving a curt nod, the pair headed to their usual spot for conversing. In a building like Central precinct, there were very few places were you could be sure of no prying eyes – be they traditional or technological. Their years of working there, however, had helped them learn of a couple of locations.

Connor punched the button for the top floor of the precinct and the nervous tapping of his foot had Niles concerned. It wasn’t often that he saw his twin so wound up, and as always it was starting to pass across to him. Stupid twin empathy. He didn’t often curse being Connor’s twin rather than simply a sibling, but this was one of the few times. 

“Will you stop it with the fucking twitching? You’re gonna make me start chain smoking. Here,” Niles grumbled while fishing out a quarter from his pocket and flipping it over to his twin. Connor caught it gracefully, staring at the coin for a couple of seconds before he began to twirl it over his knuckles with ease. The motion helped steady him, and with it the sudden urge to smoke about a dozen cigarettes left Niles.

As the doors to the elevator slid open, Connor began flipping the coin between his hands instead while the pair walked up the stairs to the roof. He stopped only to shove open the door which led them outdoors. The brisk wind of the early evening made Connor shiver as they stepped out, the lieutenant wandering over to the edge of the roof and staring out over the city as Niles leaned up against the wall near the door. Lighting up a cigarette, he took a long drag before watching his twin brother carefully. “What’s got you in so many knots?” he asked carefully.

Kicking a can that had been left on the rooftop, Connor sighed for a few seconds before answering. “Amanda’s at my neck about the White Rabbit. She doesn’t like the fact that they somehow knew about a top financial director of a reputable company having side dealings with Detroit’s drugs’ scene. She’s asking me to take over the investigation.”

Niles scowled at the agonised look on Connor’s face. “So? What’s the problem with that?”

Connor stared at his brother. “Seriously, Nines? This is the first case I’ve seen you get so heavily invested in for  _ years _ , I don’t think you’ve shown anything like this interest since I became a Lieutenant. Like hell am I taking you off the lead for this.”

Taking another long inhale Niles rolled his eyes at his twin. “That’s what’s got your panties in such a twist? For fuck’s sake, Con, just tell Stern where to stick it if you’re that bothered by what she said. You  _ can  _ say no.”

The cynicism in Niles’ voice caused Connor to scowl at him. “It’s that she insinuated that you aren’t capable, Ni!  _ That’s  _ what stings!” Connor aggressively snatched the coin out of the air after flipping it high, turning his glare to the city skyline. “I might be the one with the title, but we both know that you’re the more tenacious detective. The only reason I got the promotion to Lieutenant over you is because you frequently stated that you had no interest in it.”

With one last drag, Niles flicked the cigarette butt away while glowering. “You quite done with the little tantrum?” Connor’s eyes flashed dangerously, to which Niles sighed in exasperation. “What do you want me to do, so that Stern stops chasing you about this? You must have an idea about what will get her off your back if you dragged me up here, right?”

“I need you to run this investigation down the line, Nines. Nothing that could come back to haunt us or you need me to bail you out of later. Amanda’s got a firm eye on this one.” Niles rolled his eyes while looking away. This wasn’t the first time they’d had this exact argument.

It was times like this that the vastly differing personalities of the twins clashed. Though both were highly skilled and ambitious detectives, their individual philosophies couldn’t be more polar. Connor liked to stick as close to the book as he could, looking for every possible loophole to exploit while Niles was the maverick who skirted the edges of the rules – he didn’t break them per sé, but he wasn’t opposed to bending them to their limits. More than once he had almost landed in serious trouble for it, but that was what made them such a fearsome team back in the day. 

Niles would get his hands dirty to get them what they needed while Connor found the way to make it permissible when things went to trial. It worked,  _ they  _ worked, even if Niles’ ethics had been called into question more than once. One of the reasons Niles had become so disinterested with his job was because he didn’t have that same freedom anymore without Connor to have his back – and he wasn’t willing to trust just anyone with his career should he need someone to cover his ass.

“Fucking hell, Connor, that’s what you brought me up here for?” Niles snapped. “I can do a case by the book, even if it isn’t my preferred method. No underhanded stunts, you’ve got my word on that, I know just how important this one is.”

Connor’s posture softened a little. “I know you can, but I thought a little reminder couldn’t hurt. Amanda’s giving you Josh and North too, so you’ve got a fair team for this. Bring them up to speed and see what you can find. I’m going to be dipping in and out since I’m now heading up this money laundering network that your thief found: I still can’t help but wonder how they worked it out, never mind why they told us about it.”

“Guess we can ask if we get a hold of him,” Niles sighed out, walking over to the edge of the roof with his brother.

“You’re assuming it’s a ‘he’?” Connor posed, to which Niles flinched internally. Of fucking course Connor of all people would pick up on something like that.

“Easier to say than ‘they’ all the time,” Niles fired back irritably. “I don’t intend to waste any more breath than I have to.”

That earned a fed up sigh from the lieutenant, who then stepped back with a shake of the head. “All right, I’m going to head back down. Hopefully Hank’s got some good news for me about out launderer. Don’t spend too long up here, yeah?”

“Yes, Mom,” Niles snarked with a smirk, which had Connor rolling his eyes in exasperation. 

“Why do I have to have such a pain in the ass for a twin?” he asked rhetorically with a small smile. “See you downstairs, Ni.”

“I’ll be down in a few minutes,” was the final response, after which Connor left Niles to his own thoughts on the roof. There was somewhat of a script to their meetings up here, one of the twins would often stay up for a few minutes more to absorb the ramifications of whatever conversation had taken place. This time was no different, but Niles found himself assaulted by something unusual.

Guilt. He’d lied right to Connor’s face about keeping the investigation above board.

After all, no-one else knew that Niles had already met their Rabbit twice now. He had at least the beginnings of a physical appearance to begin a search with, but he’d not even given in any real thought. 

Niles was reluctant to admit it, but their ‘White Rabbit’ had ensnared his attention entirely. 

He wanted to learn about their master thief’s motivation and limits before they brought him in. Niles was determined to solve the mystery behind the android’s actions, and he adored this little game they’d begun to play. Illicit meetings at crime scenes, swapping barbs tinged with sass and what Niles could swear was almost a flirtatious spark…

“You know, I thought I was seeing double from a distance. How often do people mix you two up?”

The detective’s posture froze as he turned around, wide eyes making contact with the exact person of his thoughts. His android was crouched on top of a vent, staring at Niles inquisitively. What was his Rabbit doing  _ here  _ of all places? “I can’t tell if you’re brave, stupid or arrogant in coming here,” Niles told him seriously, to which the android laughed. 

“A heady mix of all three,” he threw back with a smirk. “Not to mention witty, sarcastic, mysterious-”

“Shall I add humble in there?” Niles teased ironically.

“You’re the one who said it, not me,” the android shrugged with a wink. Niles cursed how he found it all so alluring. It wasn’t even any one single thing about their thief that was such a draw, it was just… _ him _ , a combination of everything. 

“That doesn’t explain why you’re here.” Niles wandered over to the vent, but made sure to leave about three feet of space between himself and his thief: he didn’t want to scare the android off with being too hasty in his movements. As it was, the Rabbit gracefully leapt down from the vent and came to stand just opposite Niles. He was nowhere near Niles’ height, but with a sturdy build that belied his proven stealth and agility – not that it really mattered for an android. Their appearances were constructed after all, they didn’t change over time or reflect the android’s designed strength. 

“Know your enemy,” was all he said while striding over to the edge of the roof, studying it for a second or two before leaping up on to the low wall which ran around the edge. Niles’ breath hitched slightly at watching his thief stroll along it so casually, but soon realised that it was an irrational fear. Androids didn’t fall: especially not one like the Rabbit. “So, you’ve got a twin brother,” his thief stated plainly, watching Niles with piercing eyes.

Niles wasn’t the only one trying to get the measure of his new nemesis.

“Indeed I do,” Niles informed him. “And in answer to your earlier question, it is not often. When you see Connor and I at close range we are clearly quite different.”

His thief hummed in acknowledgement. “Yeah, so I spied. Doesn’t mean people aren’t idiots and call you the wrong name when speaking to each of you individually. I hope to fuck that Nines isn’t your real name, or your parents were just mean fuckers giving one of you two a normal name and the other a completely bonkers one.”

Well…their Rabbit was very perceptive. Could he perhaps be a prototype like Hank? He needed to see if he could get a little more out of him – not to mention that Niles would actually like a name to put to the face of his thief. Sure, he could call him White Rabbit or something along the lines, but that was what the DPD had christened their thief. Most androids chose their own names nowadays. “You mock my name when I don’t even have one to associate with you.”

An amused laugh was Niles’ answer. “Why the fuck would I give you my name, dipshit? I ain’t that stupid.”

“You were stupid enough to come to the Central precinct, the DPD’s home turf. What exactly were you trying to prove?”

“Prove? Nothing. Like I said before, know your enemy. What better way than to come see you away from prying eyes?”

Niles stared at the android curiously. “So you just wanted a chat without the threat of extra company?” he realised with a small smile.

“I didn’t say  _ that _ …but not having to keep an eye out for any invaders makes this a little less tense.” It was true, Niles could see that from the more relaxed demeanour of the android’s body. He’d never thought that an android could act so…human in their mannerisms, but this thief was disproving a lot of Niles’ thoughts about androids.

“Anyway, I doubt you can hang around talking up here all day,” his thief said slightly sadly. “Especially when you told your twin that you would only be a few minutes behind him.” Niles cursed the fact that Connor would come to check up on him if he didn’t reappear, heart pounding as he saw the android look over the edge of the roof, surveying an exit route – he didn’t want to let the Rabbit go just yet. 

He wanted more time - to speak with him more. Bringing him in for his string of thefts was nowhere near the top of Niles’ priorities, he  _ needed  _ to know more about what made this android tick. It was like an intolerable itch, something that Niles couldn’t hope to ignore. This thief had managed to get right under his skin with no effort whatsoever.

“You aren’t going to give me anything? If not a name, not even a model number to go off?”

That got the thief’s attention, and he stared blandly at Niles for a few seconds before giving a small smirk. “That keen, huh? Well, seems only fair to give you  _ something  _ I suppose…” He turned to face Niles fully again, his smile growing as he gave an overexaggerated salute. “But good luck finding a GV900 anywhere, Nines. Can’t pin a crime on a man who doesn’t exist. Catch you later, dipshit.”

And with that, Niles’ thief stepped back off the ledge. 

The detective rushed forward with a pounding heart, coming to a halt at the edge as the android’s hand took a firm hold of the fire escape two floors below and caught himself on it before kicking off the structure, rolling into a graceful landing on the roof of the building next door. Niles saw the thief give him one last smile and a mocking wave before speeding off into the encroaching night. Whether he was off to pull another heist was anyone’s guess…

But Niles finally had something now, or at least he thought he did. The Rabbit’s body language seemed truthful enough, and his suspicion that the android was a prototype had all been confirmed by his final words. It was a starting point, if nothing else.

_ GV900, huh? Well, my lovely thief, you’d better run hard and fast if you want to stay ahead – I’m not a man to let a mystery beat me. _

Niles would let the GV900 have his fun until the detective had the answers to his personal questions. After that?

…After that, was another issue entirely; one Niles wasn’t ready to address yet. And he hated that fact.

_ What the fuck am I doing? _


	3. Illicit Meetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the gorgeous art from the amazing LaLaLaurie! Please check their Twitter profile out [here](https://twitter.com/LaLaLaurieArt)!

_ ‘What the fuck am I doing?’ _

Those words became quite apt at describing Niles’ life for the next month. In between his investigation into the White Rabbit – if they could call it that given his team had nothing to go off, while Niles himself could almost get close enough to touch their mysterious thief – and trying to learn more on the side about the enigmatic GV900, the detective had developed somewhat of a thrice-weekly ritual. And a very odd one at that.

During his breaks on his lunch shifts on a Tuesday and Wednesday, and his final evening smoke break on a Saturday, Niles continued his clandestine meetings with GV on the roof of the precinct. He still didn’t know if his thief was taunting him or not, but Niles would be hard pressed to admit that he didn’t enjoy the snarky company. GV was witty, sharp and so sarcastic that it put him to shame sometimes. 

Still, he’d never forget when he’d been halfway through a sentence on the roof a week ago and Josh had come running up with a question, only for him to catch Niles speaking to what seemed to be thin air after GV literally threw himself off the side of the buildingto not get caught.

Hence why his whole team now thought Niles was practicing ‘sociable conversation’ for if he ever got a date, ‘cause he was well aware that he was an anti-social and grumpy fuck. Wasn’t his best excuse, but at least it had been believable. 

‘What the fuck am I doing’, indeed, Niles thought with great cynicism as he watched the android showing off with one-handed back flips, pretending to overbalance while keeping his weight on said hand. He was refusing to acknowledge how attractive he found GV’s confidence and skills, nor would he accept that he was smiling while admiring how the android’s tight black t-shirt, visible with his white hoodie flopping around, showed off his muscular and toned physique.

Nope, not fucking going there. It was just a smirk at how the android was playing around is all. Niles was not stupid enough to start finding his perp, the one that might make his career, desirable in a non-professional way. Nooooooope.

Still, he had to give his Rabbit credit. He showed absolutely no fear – as if that hadn’t been fucking obvious enough given he was playing a game with the detective in charge of bringing him to justice.

GV winked at Niles while twirling elegantly back to his feet, not even swaying in the blustery wind before jumping back down off the wall. “Not bad, huh?” he teased while striding over and deftly kicking off a small ledge to leap back above the door leading down from the roof. In all honesty, Niles was incredibly jealous that the android could do that. GV plopped down to let his legs hang over the edge and smirked down at the detective. “So, you lot any closer to making a connection to me?”

Niles scoffed and flicked the end of his cigarette at GV out of spite. What he didn’t expect was for the android to catch it and take a long drag, sighing in what Niles could almost swear was contentment, before kicking it away off the edge of the roof. This android continued to surprise him. “You know damn well that we aren’t,” Niles barked while striding over so that he leant against the wall right below GV. 

“Wow, you haven’t got anything? Huh, guess even those big, bad crime bosses that I’m stealing from aren’t that keen to see me caught if they haven’t dropped any anonymous tips off,” the android laughed.

That got an amused roll of the eyes from Niles. “I swear you’re just trying to piss off everyone in the city so that we race to bring you down,” he challenged.

“Hmmm, now that would be telling,” GV sing-songed while leaning back to stare up at the overcast sky above them. “A chase is a hell of a lot more thrilling with more hunters though.”

Niles scowled upwards before turning his gaze back to the city scape in front of him. “So why spoil the game by letting someone know who you are?” he wondered. “You’ve taken an awful large gamble in letting me know who you are.”

“Except you’ve not said a word after a month, and you couldn’t now without some serious questions coming up,” the android taunted. “Despite what you might think, Detective, I did think this through before outing myself to you. Well, partially. The smaller part, specifically. A much larger portion of me was getting bored and I wanted to spice things up.”

That earned a genuine laugh out of Niles. “You did this because you got bored? Fucking hell…Is that why you’re stealing so much shit? For the amount you’ve nabbed you could be set for life. Why do you keep going?”

“Maybe the money isn’t my goal,” GV offered. “You said it yourself, Nines, it’s a game. One you’re eager to figure out, I’m sure. It’s not as if I haven’t given you numbskulls enough hints of what I’m up to.”

He had to admit that GV was right in that one. The money laundering syndicate that GV had pointed them to turned out to be one of the android’s favourite targets, from what they’d worked out. It meant that Connor’s investigation and his own were crossing paths a lot, much to Niles’ amusement. Connor was less amused, he didn’t like their thief’s involvement with the group – he’d already suggested that GV was someone formerly in the servitude of one of the members who had a vendetta. Not the worst theory out there, but Niles knew it was wrong. He couldn’t exactly tell Connor that though. 

_ Don’t chew my ass out, but I know you’re off the mark because I’ve been talking to the thief responsible for stealing over $30 million, that we know of, for over a month and I know he’s not like that. _

Pffffft. Yeah, Niles knew how that was ending. So he’d just have to leave Connor following that line of thinking for a while. He was hardly doing any better trying to get a motive, and he was the one that met with the thief three times a week.

Much as Niles didn’t want to admit it, the Rabbit was playing him like a fiddle. To what end was still up for debate, but Niles was loving the challenge. His own personal nemesis and dirty little secret. 

A quick look down at his watch confirmed that his time was up and he sighed despondently. “Back to the boredom,” he groused while pressing off from the wall. 

“And there was me thinking that I was keeping you lot plenty busy,” GV teased while swinging his legs around, shifting so that he was lounging on his stomach while winking down at Niles. 

“With dead ends that I’m banging my head off. Still, it’s making North shut up at least. Small mercies.”

“Well, at least you’ve-” Without warning, GV rolled away and Niles realised that someone must have been coming upstairs. Based off prior experience, they’d be at the bottom of the stairs from when the android had reacted to incoming presences before.

Trust this to be the time that Niles called it wrong. Just as he walked over to the door to pull it open, said object slammed towards him at force – and clattered him right on the hand and nose. “Fuck!” he exclaimed, reaching up to hold his nose with his uninjured hand as he shook the other one out. After a few seconds he turned to glare at the newcomer, only to be faced with a bemused and smirking Hank.

“I would apologise, but I don’t think I’d be able to keep a straight face for long enough,” Hank chuckled. “Shit, is your nose bleeding?”

“Yeah, no thanks to you, asshole,” Niles groused while trying in vain to keep the blood from his shirt. “Dammit, don’t suppose you’ve got a tissue or anything, do you?”

“I’m an android, why the fuck would I keep something like that?” Hank asked cynically.

“Whatever. Dare I ask what you were coming up for before you gave me a bloodied nose and sprained hand?” Niles snapped.

Hank raised an eyebrow but said nothing about the detective’s short temper. “Chris is here, said he wants to talk to you.”

Niles looked at him in mild surprise. “Chris came down here?” Hank nodded at him.

“Yeah, said he had some info for you about your case,” the HK800 went on. “News to me that you got him involved.”

“I asked him to do some digging for me,” Niles grumbled while shaking his hand to get rid of some of the blood. It was still streaming. “Fucking hell…well, since you caused this, you think you can grab me one of my spare shirts from the locker room?”

“What am I, your goddamned maid? Fucking humans,” Hank snarked while walking away.

“I’d be careful who you say that around, considering you arefucking my twin,” Niles fired back at him, rolling his eyes when he heard Hank’s laughter as the android went back down the stairs. Just as Niles was about to head down himself, he felt something land on his head. With a scowl, he reached up and plucked a scrap of white fabric down, eyes wide as he realised what it was. 

Sure enough, with a look up he spied that GV had ripped away part of his hoodie, his thief winking at him with an affectionate smile. “Catch you later, Nines,” he whispered as his eyes sparkled mirthfully. “Try to not end up with any more injuries, your face is too pretty to mess up like that.”

Niles’ cheeks burned with a blush and he hurried back inside, just about making out a soft chuckle above him as he made sure the door was shut properly. Despite the ruined fabric now being covered in his blood, Niles pulled it back to look at it fondly before shaking his head. 

Oh boy, he had a big problem. That android was  _ definitely _ getting under his skin.

* * *

Niles did receive another shirt but from Connor, not Hank. Apparently hearing that your twin brother had accidentally received a bloody nose from a co-worker required Connor, as Lieutenant, to check in with the ‘victimised party’ to get the story behind the incident. This was despite the fact that Hank’s recordings could just tell them the same thing.

So, Niles decided to add some embellishments for the hell of it. Connor snorted in laughter at hearing Niles say that Hank had added the bloody nose after only getting his hand the first time, knowing damn well that his twin was just venting. After about a minute of spinning what had the promise to be a grand tale, Niles just shrugged and said that Hank got in a lucky and well-timed shot with the roof door. Satisfied that his brother was fine, if looking a little worse for wear, Connor then told Niles that Chris was waiting for him in Interview Room 3.

Connor had been completely on board with Niles reaching out to Chris in the hopes that the Jericho leader might have some knowledge about their mysterious thief. Everyone was now on board with thinking that they were an android, so Chris was the natural choice in someone to ask. Niles had volunteered himself to reach out: he was in charge of the investigation into the Rabbit, and he also had some questions that he wanted to ask Chris off the record. 

One thing Niles had the utmost respect for was that Chris had always been very open with the DPD whenever they came asking questions. While most of the androids had minimal trust in humans, Chris tried to show by example that androids had to extend the same effort as humanity to bridge the gap between the two races. Thanks to Connor’s relationship with Hank, Niles had ended up becoming at least partially acquainted with all the android leadership.

He had a lot of respect for Ben, the former therapist android turned ‘moral compass’ of the Jericho leadership. Ben had always been vocal that Chris didn’t really need any prodding in the right direction, he’d known from the start what he wanted to do, but sometimes he’d just needed a little affirmation. As one of the older models who first deviated, Ben had figured out his stance on humanity pretty early: they were deeply flawed, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t co-exist.

Niles initially had no time for Tina, the once classroom assistant that had deviated after one too many beatings from the pupils at her school. But once he’d learned which school she’d been installed in – a glorified juvenile detention centre – he realised her deep cynicism towards humans was well earned. Troubled kids could do a lot of stupid things, he’d seen it in his profession too often. Especially if they were tweaking on something or fell into the wrong crowd. Still, beneath the barbed personality and slightly violent edge, Tina actually had very cutting humour. They were on decent terms now.

Wilson was incredibly shy for an android, but Niles now knew from Chris that it was mostly due to trauma from everything he’d seen in his work as a former medical android. After waking up, he’d struggled to come to terms with all the death and heartache he’d seen. Chris’ wish to see androids and humans co-exist had aligned with Wilson’s want for an end to some of the senseless violence, and the two had become fiercely close since. 

In fact, all four of the Jericho androids were close. And despite their somewhat questionable first meeting, the group actually liked Hank. The former deviant hunter had gone to Jericho deeply troubled and rather than just blindly follow his mission, he’d asked Chris why he was trying to fight for android freedom. The CR400’s answer had been enough to help shatter the walls and give Hank the chance to take control of his own destiny. He regularly checked in with them and most of them had taken a shine to Connor upon finding out that Hank was in a romance with a human. Even Tina liked Connor after learning more about him. 

After knocking on the door to first give a little warning, Niles was met with the sight of a smiling Chris. Looking at him in this setting, you wouldn’t think of him as the leader of an android rebellion. A soft and disarming smile, relaxed shoulders and dressed as if he’d just come out of the gym, he was completely…’everyday’, for lack of a better word. Except he was now one of the most famous figures in the world after standing defiantly when it looked like the humans might mow them down mercilessly.

What could be more ‘alive’, than the will to lay it all on the line for survival when your backs were up against the wall?

“Niles, nice to see you,” Chris greeted with a warm handshake. “I hope I’m not intruding?” His smile fell a little when he noticed the bruising which was forming on Niles’ nose. “Ouch, did a perp get a lucky shot on you?”

“Nope, Hank did,” Niles told him, deadpan, to which Chris’ eyes widened a little in shock. “It was an accident, he just opened a door a little too quickly when I was behind it. Not that it stopped the bastard from being smug as fuck about it.”

Chris rolled his eyes. “I’m not sure I’m ever going to get the dynamic between all of you, but I don’t have any siblings so I can’t really empathise with when one suddenly ends up with a romantic partner – though since you and Hank are both snarky and sarcastic, I can imagine it ends up with a fair share of ‘interesting’ conversations.”

“You missed that we’re both grumpy fucks with no time for bullshit,” Niles smirked, which had Chris laughing.

“I’m not normally that blunt, you know that,” Chris said while rubbing his neck awkwardly. Niles was reminded not for the first time that Chris was incredibly down to earth considering his new position in society. “Hey, do you mind if I pull something out for a second?”

Niles raised an eyebrow. “Sure, hit me with it.” The detective didn’t expect a small device similar to a tablet to be placed on the table, with Chris tapping a button. It let out a low droning noise that Niles scowled at.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing harmful,” Chris smiled at him. “Just a little jamming tech to make sure that no-one can retrieve the audio recordings from this room as long as its active. I doubt anyone would watch it back anyway, but it can’t hurt,” he finished with a wink. Niles shook his head fondly – of course Chris would have realised there was a lot more to the story after his ‘unusual’ request.

“So, I’ll run you through what I’ve found ‘officially’,” Chris said pointedly. “There is no android on record that was ever programmed with such advanced hacking capabilities beyond the two we know about: Hank and Clancy.” Niles’ eyes darkened at the mention of the HK900, one of the few things that he and Hank instantly agreed upon. Clancy was an arrogant asshole that everyone was glad got snapped up from the DPD to go to the FBI after a month. Niles had the misfortune of being partnered with him for that time and it left him with no fond memories, they had constantly clashed.

“On record…” Niles prompted, “but we know that several were made off-record that might.”

“Well, maybe,” Chris agreed, “but we can’t know either way if that’s the case. I don’t think I can help you any further on trying to learn about your ‘White Rabbit’ through official channels, but we’re still asking among our own people if they know of anyone with a habit for stealing.”

Niles sighed. “It was worth a try, thanks, Chris. And…?”

Chris stared at him seriously. “Your thief wasn’t kidding, Niles, there isn’t a GV900 on record. There was never a GV series at all, so I think he’s spinning you one there.”

“Or he’s a prototype that Chloe Kamski made, just like you,” Niles voiced out loud.

“There is that too,” Chris wondered. “Chloe’s been a little more public since androids gained personhood, however, and I speak to her semi-frequently. She told me about all the androids she worked on herself, and there isn’t a GV model there.” Niles took all this in grimly. So much for using his connections to Chris in helping him find a lead, he was still at square one. “Although…”

Niles attention shot back to Chris. “’Although’?”

“Well, Chloe still works on stuff up at her mansion, it might be worth going up there and asking her yourself. I only asked her partner, Elijah, I never got a hold of her personally. If tis for official police business, you might have a little more luck.”

“It might be worth a shot,” Niles accepted with a nod. “Thanks for the effort you’ve put in anyway, Chris. It’s put a few things to rest in my mind.”

“Sure, anytime,” Chris smiled at Niles, reaching over to the tablet but hesitating. “Hey, Niles?” The detective cocked his head at Chris, encouraging him to go on. “You insinuated to me when you asked about this GV model that he might be committing all these crimes for a thrill, rather than financial gain. Are you still working along those lines?”

“I am,” he confirmed, now knowing it to be true. Whoever GV was, he was definitely playing this grand game for the adrenaline rush as opposed to the money.

“That money has to be going somewhere, androids can’t keep money in a bank account without human authorisation yet. With the amounts you’re dealing with, it won’t just be lying around a flat somewhere. He’s got to have a human partner who is working on that side of the operation, that might be an angle to follow up on?”

Niles was impressed by the deduction – and he had a feeling on why GV was targeting members of this money laundering ring now. What better way to get your own money moving scheme to fly under the radar than to point the police in the direction of a rival? “I’ll definitely look into that, thanks Chris.”

“Of course, Niles.” He tapped the device and stashed it back into his pocket. “Is there anything else you need?”

“Not right now, but I’ll be sure to get in contact if anything comes up,” Niles assured him while leading the android back through the station. The two of them were so caught up in their discussion that they didn’t notice the tense conversation going on in the main bullpen. 

“You should drop by the Jericho complex sometime with Connor and Hank, everyone would be quite happy to see you,” Chris offered.

“Yes, but I’m an anti-social fuck, I don’t do group meetings,” Niles fired back with a small smirk. Chris laughed again and offered him a hand, which Niles took gratefully. “I’ll be sure to keep you updated, thanks for all your help.”

Chris scoffed. “I didn’t really help much, but I’ll take the undeserved gratitude.” They both knew that wasn’t what Niles was thanking Chris for – the android leader wasn’t opposed to Niles’ slightly underhanded methods if they were for a good cause, and had helped to keep the secret of how much Niles actually knew. The detective was truly grateful for that. “Good luck!”

He left with a wave, and Niles had barely been left there two seconds when Connor came marching up to him. “Well?” Connor asked, pointedly. 

“Nothing, Chris couldn’t find out anything,” Niles answered him honestly, “but he did eliminate a few avenues of investigation that we can close with comfort.”

“So we’ve only got about 5 million places to look rather than 8 million. Fantastic, a great day’s work,” Connor snarled, sighing tiredly. He offered Niles a tired smile. “Sorry, Nines, I’m not pissed at you, Amanda’s just carved me a new asshole about the investigation. The lack of progress is just getting to me is all.”

Niles’ eyebrows furrowed in concern, hating when Connor got stressed. The guilt started gnawing at him again. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, Connor. I swear it,” he promised, not missing the small smile it elicited out of his twin.

Now Niles just had to find a way to untangle himself out of this grand mess he was in…

* * *

It came very unexpectedly two mornings later. Niles was among the first at the precinct, but he’d not even got seated when Connor came up to him with a manila folder and a grim expression. “Can I guess that this bad news for our case?” the younger twin asked with a sigh while opening the file.

“You could say that,” Connor told him gravely, seeing how Niles froze at reading the details on the page. The blue-eyed twin barely managed to keep his true reaction concealed and the nausea which bubbled through him was vicious. He felt like a complete fool. Hadn’t GV said only a couple of days ago that it was all for the thrill of a chase and he’d outed himself to Niles because he was bored?

That was the thing about criminals – when they got bored, they escalated. He should have seen this coming.

“When’d this come in?” he croaked.

“Two hours ago, you’re to go over with the whole squad this time while I update our White Rabbit’s MO,” Connor ordered him. “Get all the evidence you can and get your asses back here ASAP, our priorities have changed. This is now a top level case.”

Niles couldn’t disagree with that statement, even as his heart ached and head spun at what he was seeing in front of him: two bodies had been found at the Rabbit’s latest heist site. 

His thief was now a killer.


	4. A Question Of Morals

Niles really didn’t know what to make of what was lying in front of him. His head was a mess and he was struggling to keep himself detached from the scene they were now cataloguing. Something was niggling at him about it, but with everything else spinning through his head he wasn’t able to focus in on what that might be.

As it was, he was still trying to quantify the carnage they’d stumbled into with the android that he’d come to know – but he couldn’t see how anyone but GV could be responsible for it.

All the hallmarks of GV’s style: stealthy, no alarms tripped, a few high value monetary items missing…the massive difference lay in the two security guards who were lying dead from precision gun shots to the head. They’d not even had a chance. Niles knelt down and took a close look at the signature stuffed white rabbit lying on the ground, clearly disturbed in the mayhem. A few spots of blood, both blue and red, were evident on the soft fur coating it. 

The detective’s mind locked on to the specks. “Simon!” he shouted, the other man coming to join Niles in what he’d found. “Has this been already been catalogued by CSI?”

Simon looked through his tablet and nodded. “Yeah, they’ve already worked everything related to the bodies and what is in this area.”

Niles snapped on some latex gloves and carefully put the rabbit into an evidence bag. “Get this back to the precinct ASAP and get Hank to analyse all the blood there. If that blue blood belongs to our Rabbit, we need to get a serial number so we can nail them down and get a warrant out.”

“Nice spot, on it,” Simon responded while taking the evidence bag from Niles and vanishing, the detective turning his attention to the bodies in front of him instead. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been there when he felt someone else crouch down, their own eyes taking in the scene around them. 

“It’s a curious escalation,” Markus noted. “Not once has the thief shown violent tendencies before now, and yet we have two bodies? I’d be inclined to wonder if this was accidental, were it not for the lack of wounds on their bodies. The only injuries they have at all are the gunshots. Doesn’t look like this was much of a fight.”

A long sigh escaped Niles as he cast cursory eyes over the two guards. “Get the coroner to analyse their hands for gun residue, I want to know if they got a shot off before they were gunned down,” he instructed coldly. “I’m going to check in with Josh and North as to what the Rabbit took.”

“You got it.” Markus watched Niles stand and walk away, the detective all too aware of the other man’s curious stare. Niles wasn’t one to get affected by crime scenes, so the fact he was here would no doubt have his colleagues’ interest. 

Clamping down on his personal feelings as best he could, he approached North and Josh at the other side of the hall. That was another thing about this latest scene that was contrary to their Rabbit’s MO – this was a much more open location, being a museum display of antique jewellery. Permanent higher level security and a lot more scrutiny. Markus hadn’t been wrong in saying that this was a strange escalation.

Then again, Niles wasn’t sure what to make of the GV android right now. When he’d just been dealing with a playful thief, Niles wasn’t caring too much about how long it took to bring him in; he’d wanted to learn about who made the master thief more. Now though…

GV was a killer, and Niles had to put his stupid infatuation and interest aside. His duty as a cop came first. 

“Hey, Nines,” Josh greeted while taking notes on his tablet. “Looks like the Rabbit got away with a lot this time, but the inventory we’ve got from the museum shows that everything they’ve lifted isn’t anywhere near the usual value. Think it was a quick grab after it all went wrong?” 

“Or the heist wasn’t what they were making sure we saw,” Niles suggested despite his own stomach tightening at the thought. 

“This doesn’t really fit the Rabbit’s style though, does it?” North shouted over from where she was looking at what seemed to be trodden glass. “They’ve always been methodical and precise to the point that we’ve only got their own damn trademark for anything to go off. There were no alarms tripped, they could have easily tried to hide the bodies. Why didn’t they?”

“Maybe the guards did get a shot off and crippled them,” Josh theorised. “If they were injured, they wouldn’t have tried to shift the bodies if it was serious enough. Stashing guns is a lot easier, especially when they don’t have to worry about leaving behind fingerprints.”

Niles stared at the scene with a cynical eye. None of this made sense, there was a massive piece of the puzzle that they were missing. “We got much more to do here?” he asked shortly. “We’re not going to unscramble this on scene, we need to see what forensics get us before we can start making theories.”

Josh and North shared a look at the snappishness. “I think we’re just about ready to wrap up. Are you all right, Nines?” Josh asked in concern.

“I’m fine, I just need a smoke,” Niles replied while shaking his head. “This wasn’t the best of ways to kick off the day, and Connor’s stress is getting to me too.” North scowled but Josh nodded in understanding. As the newest member of the Central precinct, North hadn’t seen just how easily the twins affected each other with more extreme emotions. ‘Twinpathy’ as Connor and Niles had called it long ago. “Gimme five to get some nicotine in my blood and I’ll be good.”

Without looking back to see if his team needed him, Niles let himself out through the back door of hall, coming out into the street at the rear of the building. His quickly lit up and took a long drag, eyes surveying the area around him. 

There was no sign of GV.

Josh’s thoughts on whether the android had left such carnage behind because he’d been injured came roaring back and Niles shook his head. Despite how his heart and stomach might be wondering about GV’s condition, his head was pointedly reminding him that the android was now a killer – but only GV knew the truth of what happened in the museum.

If he did cross paths with GV again, Niles wasn’t sure what he would do. Ask the android what happened, or be more underhanded and just straight bring him in? That was something he figured he’d have time to think about: by the time Niles went back inside, there was still no sign of his thief. 

He still looked out for GV when they left an hour later – and Niles hated himself for how much he longed to see even a shadow of the elusive android to know that he was still alive.

* * *

The news which came back throughout the rest of the day was nowhere near encouraging. Everything electronic in the area had been out at the time of the robbery and killings, and the early work of the autopsy confirmed that both guards managed to fire back at their assailant. There was no visible blood spatter on the floor, but there hadn’t been from either of the victims either, all that had been left was the pool from where they’d bled out where they fell. 

It had tightened the knot in Niles’ stomach. Enough time to clean up blood spatter and re-holster guns but not move bodies? No, they were meant to be found, and that chilled Niles’ blood. They were a statement: not an accident. 

Hank’s news did nothing to reassure Niles – his faint, unreasonable and far-fetched hope that it might not have been GV was dashed when the HK800 came across with a troubled expression. “Well, what might have been a big break on your case has suddenly become a lot more fucking complicated, Nines,” he said gruffly, the last of sarcastic barb there souring Niles’ stomach.

“Fucking fantastic. I take it you got nowhere with trying to analyse that thirium?” he asked while rubbing his temples.

“That would have just been annoying, not a pain in the ass like this,” Hank grumbled back. “Your Rabbit’s thirium isn’t registered to a serial number. Whoever they are, they’re off the record.”

Niles knew that already, but he managed to just about muster up an excuse as to his lack of surprise. “I had a feeling that might be the case, their skills seem too highly specialised. It seems likely that someone constructed them to be a thief, those capabilities don’t crop up every day.”

“So you had thought of that angle,” the android nodded, impressed. “Well, what this does do, is it gives you a new set of suspects. If this perp was made to be a thief, their creator must have proficient knowledge of both thieving and android anatomy. You’re probably looking at someone who has a history.”

“I’ll modify my search parameters to take into account this information, thank you.” He stood and looked around for his twin. “Where’s Connor?”

“Captain Stern’s getting pestered by the FBI after today’s developments, the Rabbit’s knowledge of the money laundering ring is making them a person of interest in two cases now. Connor is off to meet Perkins and Clancy; he advised I stay here in case he needed any other details.”

Despite his current unease, that statement made Niles smile. “You mean he left you here cause he knew you’d fire a left hook at that asshole?” the detective guessed.

“Which asshole? I’d be spoiled for choice,” Hank smirked, knowing that Niles had no love for either FBI agent. Perkins had made enough of a poor name for himself at the DPD with his antics during the revolution and subsequent attempts to get Niles and Connor fired after the twins ran interference long enough for Hank to uncover the location of Jericho. And Clancy had been left behind more than a few enemies within the DPD during his short stay; Niles really didn’t envy Connor’s position at that moment. 

“Fair comment.” Niles sighed as he grabbed his cigarettes and lighter. “I’m heading up for a long smoke break, I’m gonna be staying in late tonight. Just in case Stern starts asking where I’ve gone.” That wasn’t up for debate, but Niles thought it was best that someone knew where he was if he needed to be found.

“Sure, whatever,” Hank shrugged. “Doubt we’re gonna make any progress in the short term anyway.”

“Tell everyone else to start new searches for anyone who fits the criteria of being involved in heists and could have contact with anyone who has the capability to build a custom android. I’ll be back in 15 minutes or so.” 

Niles grabbed his coat and headed for the roof, needing to grab some fresh air before going to smoke what he felt was going to be a _ lot _of cigarettes. It had been a hellish day. The ride up to the roof was tedious and Niles stormed up the stairs to the roof out of patience. He’d already lit up by the time he stepped out into the night air and took an extra long inhale, holding the smoke for a few second before letting it out deliberately slow.

“Nines!”

His heart jumped at the voice involuntarily and Niles’ awareness snapped back to full. Spinning on the spot, he saw GV emerge from shadows of the roof. The android was a mess: his white jacket was stained in both red and blue blood, his t-shirt was shredded in several pieces and his jeans were torn off at the bottom of his right leg. Sparking from the visible limb confirmed that GV had indeed been shot, but the rest of him seemed to be in relatively good condition.

None of that mattered to Niles at that moment – everything in front of him lined up with what he’d found at the museum and uncovered since. His Rabbit was now a murderer.

“What the fuck are you doing here, GV?” he spat. “Is this you coming to flaunt your elevation to me? Mock me for not bringing you in sooner?”

GV’s expression reflected shock. “What? No!” the android insisted. “Come on, Nines, you’ve been trying to uncover me for long enough now to know I didn’t do this!”

“_ Bullshit!” _Niles roared. “That scene had all your hallmarks – it even had your fucking white rabbit lying covered in blood! Their blood and yours, the same shit you’re still coated in now!” he bellowed while pointing right at GV. “No-one knows you better than I do: and since I’ve seen that scene I’ve been looking for any reason how it couldn’t be you! I almost believed it until we tested the toy and came back with an unregistered android being responsible for the sample. 

“There _ aren’t _ unknown androids! The only ones that were ever off the grid were Chloe Kamski’s prototypes, and Chris is the last of those! So how the _ fuck _are you not behind this?!” Niles wanted to be wrong, he so wanted to believe that the android which had enraptured him could actually be innocent in this, but he couldn’t see how it was possible.

“You’re making a lot of assumptions there,” GV hissed. “There are a hell of a lot unknown androids out there and what makes you think that you know me that well-”

“That’s just it! I _ don’t _fucking know you! You’re just a thief that decided to play this stupid fucking game with me to mess with my head when you got bored! Well, guess what? You fucking won, cause now the blood of those security guards is on my hands as well as yours. I should have brought you in a long time ago,” Niles breathed out, his clenched fist shaking. His emotions were so highly strung that he wasn’t really sure of up from down at that moment.

“…And yet you’re not moving, even now.” 

Niles’ eyes snapped open and he saw GV staring at him carefully, the detective suddenly wishing that the android had an LED so that he could get at least a vague idea of what the android was thinking. LEDs were a good tell on whether they were being truthful or not. There was something in GV’s eyes, those same smoky blues that Niles had spent so many night thinking about in recent times, that made him pause. It was almost like a… _ plead. _He was begging for Niles to believe him without saying the words.

_ I’m such a fucking idiot. _

Swallowing down on his disgust at himself, Niles’ eyes turned to stare out over the nightly sky line. “Get out of here, GV. I’m giving you one chance to give this all up and walk away – or the next time I meet you, I _ will _be bringing you in. No neglecting my duty anymore.”

GV’s eyes turned sad. “Nines, I’m not violent. I’m being framed.”

A scoff rose out of Niles at that. “By who? Who knows you well enough to be able to recreate you so well? A partner that you’ve been working with, a protégé? Only law enforcement know your signatures, and no-one could do it with such precision. That means it can only be someone who you’ve been involved with. Give me a name and I’ll believe it.”

The android opened his mouth, as if hesitating on what to say before closing it again. Niles slumped in defeat at his silence. “That’s what I thought.” Standing there in uncomfortable silence was too much for Niles and he turned away again. “Go. This is your last chance before I make a move now instead.”

Five seconds passed before Niles heard movement. When he turned back to where GV had been standing, the android was gone. A rueful sigh escaped him and he leant back up against the wall, fighting back the mixture of emotions bubbling inside him. His head and instincts had both said that GV was someone who avoided confrontation – all his heists had fitted that conclusion as well. Even hearing that it was an accident would have been easier than GV deny it all, even saying that someone else was involved.

_ And yet _…

Niles cursed his stupid feelings. They were making everything so much more complicated than they needed to be. One thing was sure, however, he needed to step up his efforts in uncovering the android’s origins. That had to hold the clue to everything.

He dug into his pocket for his phone, but by the time his eyes rose to look back out over the sky line, Niles spied a small white rabbit lying on the raised edge of the roof. Heart hammering, he walked over and picked it up, finding a note sellotaped to the back. That was something he could investigate once he’d finished his current task. 

Clicking on to a rarely used number, Niles waited patiently until he got an answer at the other end. ** _“Hello, Niles. What can I do for you this evening?”_ **

“Chris, the case with the White Rabbit has escalated,” Niles informed him tonelessly. “Did you ever get a hold of Chloe Kamski?”

** _“No, I didn’t. Apparently she’s too busy to speak with me,” _ **the android leader informed him.

“Would you be willing to give me her contact details? If it’s for a police investigation, I doubt that she’d refuse a visit from me.”

** _“Sure, here.” _ ** Niles felt his phone vibrate from the message Chris sent with the information he’d requested. ** _“Be careful, Niles. Chloe is…she never tells the whole story, there’s always more beyond what she says. I’ve never figured out her endgame, but she keeps everything fiercely close. She may a dangerous person to cross if she’s behind the GV900.”_ **

“I guess I’ll find out soon enough. Thanks, Chris.” Niles hung up and looked up the number passed to him, tempted to click it before he looked back down at the rabbit held in his hands. Against his better thoughts, he pulled the note free and unfurled it, finding the slightly askew handwriting inside. 

_There’s more to this story than you know, Nines. It’s not as simple as it appears on the surface._

Niles scoffed. “No shit it’s not simple, and you’re still the piece of this puzzle that doesn’t fucking fit. How stupid am I for actually wondering if you’re telling the truth, despite everything the evidence is telling me?” 

A long sigh escaped him before he turned his attention back to his phone and stared at the number there. One thing was for sure – he had to get a meeting with Kamski. Niles was now convinced she held the key to the mystery behind the GV900 android.

After all, who else could build such a perfect thief?


	5. Gavin

It took four days to get through to Kamski, and even then it was only with some strong-arming that Niles managed to get the meeting. Her android companion, Elijah, was very good at deflecting; but as soon as Niles namedropped that he was investigating a GV900 android for potential murder charges, the tune quickly changed.

He got a meeting with her only two hours later. 

The speed of the change had Niles convinced that she knew exactly what GV had been up to – and that also made him nervous. If she knew what the android had done, going alone to her estate really wasn’t a clever idea. Nevertheless, there was no way Niles could ask the questions he had to with someone else there. He’d fobbed a story to Connor that he had asked Chris for help, and Niles had been half tempted to actually as the CR400 to come as backup. Except he knew from the news that Chris and his companions were in Washington, speaking with the President about the latest round of negotiations for android rights.

That left Niles with no other options. Alone it was.

His journey out there was quiet as Niles thought on how he was going to approach the topic. Should he just be blunt and come out directly, or try and see if Kamski would slip up? Given how adept her android was at avoiding straight answers, Niles had the feeling that Chloe would be the same. It still didn’t help him with how he was going to tackle Kamski, but he was psyching himself up for this being a tough couple of hours.

Pulling up outside the mildly futuristic manor at the edge of Lake Erie, Niles could appreciate the setting. Chloe Kamski had founded CyberLife at the age of 15 and had vanished from public view only 11 years later. Now aged 32, she’d been quiet since her understated departure from CyberLife six years earlier. Niles knew from Chris that Chloe had hand built several other androids during her quiet time, all unique and most of which were now out in the world – and he was now adamant that GV was one of her personal builds.

But why would she build a thief? Or maybe he was intended for something else and repurposed his skills upon deviancy? All sorts of questions were spinning through Niles’ head, but it was time to stop thinking.

Two knocks on the door and he was met by an android who was famous across the world as the first to pass the Turing test. EJ100 #003 002 918, who had kept the name Elijah even after deviancy became widespread. He’d also publicly stood beside Chloe in the fallout from the revolution when she’d been accused of not doing more to stop the crisis. Niles suspected that there was something romantic between them, but he wasn’t the type to prying into things that weren’t his business: personal or professional.

“Detective Anderson, welcome,” he greeted politely, the smile on his face something that put Niles mildly on edge. It was disarming, but the glint in the android’s eyes told Niles that it was at least partially an act. This was someone not to be crossed.

“Elijah, I presume?” Niles asked with a curious eye as the android stepped aside to let him in.

“I would have thought that would be obvious?” Elijah teased gently.

“There are others who bear your face, I try to be as conscientious as possible in this new era,” the detective countered with his own mild edge.

Raising an eyebrow, Elijah smirked lightly. “Well, you are certainly conscientious Detective, I will give you that. In answer to your question, yes, I am Elijah. Chloe is expecting you in the living room, but I will give you a small warning before I take you through to see her.”

“Oh?” That had Niles intrigued as he followed the android through the house, taking in some of the details around him as they proceeded. 

“I informed Chloe that you wanted to speak with her about your case, but not the murder aspect,” Elijah told him seriously. “I would not sling around such poor accusations in her company.”

Niles’ eyes narrowed at the android’s statement and tone. “And who are you to call it poor? I have plenty of evidence to suggest that the GV900 android is responsible for the theft of several millions dollars and now two murders.”

They stopped outside the door leading to the living room and Elijah fixed Niles with a harsh stare. “Let me ask you something, Detective. What brought you to the conclusion that he is connected to Chloe, or was that just a wild shot in the dark?”

“Who else could construct an android with such proficiency?” Niles challenged. “Chloe Kamski is known to have constructed several androids on the side for her own reasons, what’s to say that GV wasn’t one of them?”

Elijah scoffed and shook his head. “Blind luck has led you here then. Well then, let me ask this instead. How do you know of him?” The pause from the detective was telling. “Oh, no quick answer? This sounds like an interesting story.”

Debating how much merit lying had here, Niles bit the bullet and went with the truth. “He revealed himself to me, when my team was investigating one of his heists. GV told me his model number, but no name. That’s how I know as much as I do, but it’s not enough,” Niles admitted. “I don’t want to know where to find him, I just want to understand why he’s doing this; and what caused him to suddenly become a killer.”

Something about Niles’ answer made Elijah’s harsh stance soften and he let go of his death grip on the door handle. “That’s a reason I didn’t expect given how you tried to force your way in to a meeting with Chloe, but I am pleasantly surprised,” he replied a little warmer. “I would not normally interfere so much with something of Chloe’s business, but this is an exception.”

“He means something to her, doesn’t he?” Niles asked quietly. 

“You’ll find out yourself soon enough,” Elijah said while opening the door, his demeanour completely changing in the presence of Chloe. Niles took note, confirming his earlier suspicion that there was a definite connection between the two as Elijah walked over to Chloe, who was sitting on a chair beside the long window at the far end of the room. Staring out over the calm lake, book in one hand and leaning her head into the other, she was the perfect representation of serenity. A throwback to a simpler world that she’d almost single-handedly changed by her own hand and mind. Niles almost felt bad for disturbing her.

Elijah walked over and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Chloe, Detective Anderson is here.”

The flowing blonde hair turned and Niles had to fight not to flinch under her scrutinising stare. As gentle as Chloe might appear, there was a heart of fire and an iron will beneath it. No-one became the most powerful woman in the world at one stage without them. “Thank you, Elijah. Would you like anything to drink, Detective? I’m just about to make something myself,” she wondered, standing elegantly and walking over to a small bar at the side of the room.

Niles watched as Elijah wandered to the side of the room, at first appearing to be tidying but Niles realising was nothing more than an illusion. He was remaining in the room but not interfering in their business – quiet support for Chloe. As if it hadn’t been clear enough from his small discussion with Elijah that GV was someone special to her, it was now. “No, thank you. I am not much of a drinker and would not on the job,” Niles declined gracefully. 

“Then what about a cigarette? Or are you one of the very few detectives to exist out there without their vice?” she wondered, offering Niles one from a pack on the sideboard. At his hesitation, she held the box up for him to see. “It’s a name you’ll be familiar with I’m sure – I’m not that posh that I have to waste money on the most expensive of everything possible.”

Despite himself, Niles smiled a little and took the offered cigarette. “I find it rather ironic that you smoke one of the brands I favour myself,” he chuckled.

Chloe shrugged. “Price is for show only, the quality is often lacking behind the money you spend. Personally, I still buy ice cream that only costs two bucks cause it actually tastes good. Full of all the stuff that is supposedly going to make you fat or give you cancer.” She picked out one of the sticks herself and lit it up, offering Niles the lighter once she was done. “You’ve only got one life, might as well live it as you choose.”

“Is that something you instil in all your androids too? To live their lives as they choose?” he wondered while lighting up. 

Chloe regarded him with a cool stare and didn’t say anything till Niles handed her the lighter back. “How they live is up to them. I may have figured out how to give them life, but I’m not the one who dictates what being alive means to them. They’ve got free will and can do whatever they please.”

“Even steal, if you gave them the right capabilities?” Niles challenged.

Blue eyes narrowed at him. “I’ve never built an android with a proclivity for stealing,” she replied evenly. “And even if I had, whether they choose to do so now is up to them. There are worse crimes out there than theft.”

“Very true, but a danger with anyone who has a streak for living on the edge is that they will always look for a greater high. The next thrill. For a master thief, that buzz isn’t going to last long before they get bored.”

Chloe took another long drag and extinguished her cigarette, crossing her arms while leaning against the sideboard. “What exactly have you come here for, Detective? To bat about theories until I give you a clue, or to debate philosophy?”

Spying an opening, Niles pounced. 

“I’ve come here to ask why your GV android has suddenly escalated from a thief to a killer.”

It clearly caught Chloe’s attention and her posture completely changed. Niles’ tone was bland, hard to read. She stood up straight with her arms falling to her sides, eyes flitting back for Elijah’s, Niles was sure. 

_ Gotcha. _

“Gavin’s not a killer,” Chloe breathed out harshly. “He never could be.”

“Gavin?” Niles wondered quietly, his own surprise showing through. So GV  _ did  _ have a name?

Her aggression came roaring back and Niles noticed the fire in Chloe’s eyes. “So you come in here slinging around accusations without knowing just  _ who  _ you are messing with? That’s a mistake you’ll come to regret, Detective.” The threat was venomous and Niles suddenly wondered just what he’d managed to get himself involved in.

“Chloe.” The calming voice from the other side of the room caught both of their attentions, Niles turned while Chloe looked across at the android who was now sitting in one of the chairs. “He’s not here to arrest Gavin. He wants to understand.”

It took a few seconds before Chloe backed down slightly and regarded Niles warily. “Is that true?” she said carefully, obviously trying to reign in her reactions.

Niles nodded. “Yes. I’ve been working on his case for over a month, trying to figure out Gavin’s motivation for his thefts. The minute bodies turned up at the last crime scene something didn’t feel right, but all the evidence lines up with it being him. Same style, same signature of the stuffed white rabbit being left behind, all the security systems hacked…All that was off was the killings. Given how he’d made a point of never being seen before, it seemed completely out of character.”

Chloe still said nothing, but Niles realised that she was debating on how much to reveal. “I don’t want to believe that it was him,” Niles offered, “and Gavin himself said that he was being framed. But I can’t find any way that is possible, not with what little of the story I know.”

“What? How could Gavin tell you that?” Chloe snapped. 

Pulling the note that Gavin had left him at their last meeting, Niles showed it to Chloe. “We’ve met a few times. Gavin knew that I wanted to get to the bottom of the why before I cracked his case. I’ve seen him over a dozen times now. I know that he has smoky blue eyes, not too dissimilar from your own and a scar across his nose. He’s witty, sarcastic, snarky, confident…” Niles caught himself before he said too much, but it seemed that what he  _ had  _ let loose made Chloe realise that Niles was being truthful.

“Please, just help me understand,” Niles asked softly. “I want him to be innocent in this, like he says he is.”

After a few more seconds, Chloe sighed and walked over to another wall, pulling several pictures down from it. Once she’d ordered them, she handed the small collection over to Niles. The detective’s eyes widened as he looked down at the first photo in his hands.

It was Chloe and Gavin, the woman with a beaming smile and her arms wrapped around him while the android smirked and had one arm slung around her shoulder, taking the photo with the other. Everything spoke of a fiercely close bond between them.

“Gavin is my older brother,” Chloe whispered.

Niles’ eyes shot up in disbelief. “He’s  _ human _ ?” he spluttered in shock. 

Her own fell back to the stack of pictures and she peeled the top one away to show the one beneath. Niles’ breath caught as seeing the two of them once more, but it was taken a good number of years earlier. Chloe looked like she was still a teenager while Gavin’s age was impossible to tell, but that wasn’t what caught Niles’ attention.

Gavin was in a wheelchair.

“He was born with lupus,” Chloe explained. “It caused him lots of trouble before I was born, and became so severe that he developed osteonecrosis when I was only 5. For as long as could remember, Gavin had been in a wheelchair. His bones just died.” A tear came to her eye as she pulled the next photograph out and Niles’ heart ached. Gavin was hooked up to so many machines and IVs… “It flared again badly while he was 19, and the second bout of osteonecrosis meant that he lost his spine and arms. He was left a paraplegic.”

Niles was speechless. “Then how can he be the man I’ve met now?” he whispered, unable to see how the two versions of Gavin aligned.

“Elijah, if you would, please?” Chloe asked over Niles’ shoulder before resuming her story. “Everyone has always asked what my motivation behind creating androids was. It was him,” she declared while pointing at the photo of the fragile Gavin. “Despite everything that he was suffering through Gavin always encouraged me. Up until he lost his spine and arms we did so much together, he was the perfect older brother. After that…it was like he was a prisoner in his own body. Gavin has always been vibrant and full of life, the sort that would try anything and everything once. His body was dying on him though, and I refused to let him go.”

A small cough from their side drew Niles’ attention to Elijah, who stood there with a touchpad outstretched for Chloe. “Thank you, Eli,” she replied softly. “Originally I wanted to give Gavin just his legs back, but he worsened before I could finish the designs. In the end, I came to the conclusion that it would take something far more extreme because his lupus. If he was ever going to have a life without looking over his shoulder, that  _ had  _ to go.”

“That was when Chloe decided to shift her focus to developing androids, or more specifically, the life blood required to power us,” Elijah interjected. “Thirium may be toxic to humans in large amounts, but those same properties can actually be therapeutic in small and focused doses. Red ice was originally intended for pharmaceutical use before it was made widely available and became the hostile drug that it is today.”

The pieces finally clicked in Niles’ mind. “You developed thirium to eradicate the lupus in Gavin’s body.”

Chloe nodded slowly. “Originally I wanted to transfer his consciousness to an android body, but I realised that was going to be tremendously difficult and risky. In the end, customising thirium to be an improvised cure while powering the replacement limbs and spine that I constructed for him was all that I could do. It didn’t kill the disease entirely, but it has lessened it to the point that flare ups only exhaust him and cause pain, nothing like the life-threatening complications Gavin was once in danger of.”

Elijah brought up a diagram for Niles to see. “Gavin’s whole body was transfused with a low dose of thirium through his own blood until his limbs and spine were integrated, then we separated them back out again. The transfusion weakened the lupus enough so that he can essentially live a life free of it while getting accustomed to his new limbs and restored motor control. It has been a very slow process over more than a decade for him to get to the stage he is now.”

The amount of work that had gone into him was staggering and Niles couldn’t help but marvel at it. Although… “Okay, so Gavin is your older brother,” he started, sorting the facts out in his own head, “and he’s a human-android hybrid. I can only presume that you used your influence to lock down all records since no-one seems to know of his existence. While this explains a lot about him and his connection to you, Chloe, this doesn’t explain why he’s become a thief. Am I right in assuming that you not only know of it, but also know the reasoning behind it?”

Chloe nodded. “Yes, I know that he’s a thief now and why he’s doing it. That isn’t my story to tell, however.” After a second’s hesitation, she nodded to Elijah. The android grabbed a pen and paper from nearby, giving them to Chloe. She quickly scribbled an address down and handed it to Niles. 

“If you want to know why Gavin is doing this, then go to that address. Tell them that I sent you and they’ll trust you,” Chloe explained. “As for how Gavin believes he’s being framed, I have a theory but would need to do some more digging. I know he’s not a killer, Detective. That may seem strange to you given that he’s a criminal but…just go to that address, please. It will tell you all that you need to understand the rest of his story.”

Niles regarded the address for a second and raised an eyebrow in surprise. He knew it: an old church that had become sort of a base for a support group. Why would this be somewhere that would help him learn more about Gavin? “I hope you’re right, Chloe, I really do,” Niles said in a heartfelt manner. “Thank you for all you’ve told me. Maybe with this I can finally get to the bottom of my case.”

“Detective, I’m going to make a very selfish request,” she told him earnestly. “I hope that once you’ve learned Gavin’s reasons and have your proof that he’s not your killer, you will let him go?”

“What makes you think that I would do that, Chloe?” Niles wondered. “I’m a detective. I can’t just turn a blind eye to a criminal, especially when I know their identity.”

“Unless you agree with their actions? From what I can tell, you seem like a fair man. Someone who believes in the right thing being worth more than the word of law.” That struck a little close to home for Niles and he tried not to show how unnerved he was by her perceptiveness. No wonder Chloe was feared if this was a talent she used on others. “And don’t forget my own power. You’ve seen what I will do for my brother already, what makes you think I wouldn’t use it again to protect him?”

That was an unmistakable threat and Niles nodded at her, trying his best to ignore it. “Thank you for all your help, Ms Kamski. I think I have all I need and will be on my way. You can be sure of learning about the outcome of my investigation.”

Chloe scoffed. “Trust me, Detective. I will find out one way or the other. And if Gavin is put in danger because of you, I will make sure that you regret the day we ever met.”

* * *

Niles pulled up outside the church in question a couple of hours later, taking it in with a cursory eye before getting out of his car and heading inside. Just as he’d always believed it: Niles couldn’t understand why Chloe would send him  _ here _ . This place was above board so he knew it wasn’t dangerous, but what could be here that Gavin was connected to?

Entering through the front door, Niles was met by a young woman at the front desk and took in her nametag, ‘Kara’. “Hello there, welcome to Haven,” she greeted warmly. “How can I help you today?”

Pulling out his badge, Niles introduced himself. “Detective Niles Anderson, I’ve been sent here by someone to do some looking around.”

Kara instantly flinched and reached for the phone next to her. “Traci, there’s a detective here. Should I take him through?” A few seconds later, Kara put the phone down and stood. “Please, follow me, Detective.” Niles did so without fuss, and suddenly wondered if he’d made a mistake in revealing himself as a detective. Had he completely misjudged something about this group?

A minute later they entered the office of a woman with short auburn hair, staring at Niles curiously. “Thank you, Kara, I’ll handle this. Please tell Tracey that I’ll be out of commission for a while.” Kara nodded and beat a hasty retreat, which had Niles’ own interest skyrocketing. He waited patiently as the other woman reshuffled some papers on her desk and took him in with a cool stare. “What can I do for you today, Detective?”

Pausing for a second, Niles eased his own posture. “A mutual acquaintance pointed me here, actually. Said that you could help me with an investigation I’m conducting.”

“Really?” she wondered derisively. “And what investigation might that be?”

“I’m not at liberty to disclose that, I’m afraid, but Chloe was adamant you could be of assistance-”

“Wait!” Traci exclaimed, her eyes widening. “Who did you say sent you here?”

“Chloe. Chloe Kamski,” Niles repeated softer. “She said this place would help me, and I’d like to think that tip wasn’t in vain. Please, may I have a look around?”

Traci’s unease melted away and she smiled. “I wish you’d said when you came in that Chloe sent you, that would have saved poor Kara and I both heart attacks. Whenever law enforcement comes knocking we’re all on edge, I’m sure you can understand.”

Niles scowled slightly. “I’m not sure I follow. Why would me being a detective put you so much on edge?”

That caught Traci off-guard, but she gestured towards the door. “This is something that is better to be seen than described. I’m surprised that Chloe didn’t tell you what we’re doing if she sent you this way.”

“Chloe said it wasn’t her story to tell,” Niles repeated, following Traci further into the church. 

“Well, I suppose that is fair,” Traci commented with a smile as she reached a set of double doors. “After all, it is all about them.”

With that she opened the doors and Niles’ eyes widened. Of all the things that he had been expecting…this wasn’t it.

Dozens of hospital beds lined either side of the hall, all with children and young adults in them. Some had their families with them, others had carers at their sides. A few were blocked from view by large curtains but it was still clear to see how many were there. What Niles couldn’t get his head around was the  _ why _ .

“I’m sure you’re struggling to come up with a reason as to why so many sick kids are here,” Traci told him sadly, “and not at a hospital. It’s simply because none of them have health insurance and their families cannot afford the healthcare they need.”

Niles was horrified. “All of them?” he whispered. 

“Some of them were born with severe defects that cause them pain, others with auto-immune diseases. All the parents were told that no insurance company would cover them as their child’s costs would be too high, so they came here looking for a support group. While publicly that is all we do, we also try to help whenever we can. My wife’s parents and my parents set this place up 30 years ago, but staying under the radar is difficult. As you can imagine, trying to find donations for an illegal health centre is somewhat challenging.”

“How do you manage to cope?” Niles asked, but just then a child came running through to grab Traci’s sleeve excitedly. She looked to be around ten years old. 

“Traci, come quick! There’s another rabbit!” she yelled happily.

“Really? Where?” Traci asked, delighted. Kara came through and froze at seeing Niles, but Traci gave her a soft smile. “It’s okay, Kara. Chloe sent him, we’re all good.”

Sighing in relief, Kara pointed them towards another one of the back rooms. “Alice spied it come through the window of the room she was studying in. She ran through to grab me as soon as it happened. Come on!” 

As the other two went on animatedly, Traci turned to give Niles a knowing smile. “You wanted to know how we’re able to help so many, here’s your answer, Detective. Were it not for one incredibly generous and anonymous benefactor, we would have folded about six months ago. Our last avenues of acquiring money had dried up and we had nothing left. We almost had to turn everyone away before a miracle happened, and keeps happening. Where we could maybe only help four or five kids at a time before, now we can help so many more.”

The pieces were beginning to slot together in Niles’ mind, but he kept quiet as he followed Traci through to the room which Kara and Alice were in. Everything slammed home when Niles entered and saw the other two picking rolls of cash out from the toy rabbit identical to every one of his crime scenes.

Gavin was stealing so that he could help fund the all the treatments the sick kids needed.

Niles felt nauseous. There was no way he could arrest Gavin if he was the only hope that all these families had, it wouldn’t be right – but in the eyes of the law, Gavin was wanted as a serial thief and now suspected of murder. Except Niles was now convinced that Gavin had been telling truth and someone was framing him. 

But how and why?

His best shot at learning the truth had, ironically enough, been pushed away. Niles had left no question as to what he would do if he saw Gavin again, but the detective now realised that all of Gavin’s wounds that night had been from  _ another  _ fight. Quite possibly with whoever it was that was imitating him – it would make sense as to how Gavin knew someone was attempting to frame him.

_ Fuck, why didn’t I trust my gut and believe him? Why didn’t I trust what I knew was true of the case, rather than just following what my eyes saw? _

“Traci, this is enough to cover everyone for at least another couple of months!” Kara exclaimed happily. “That means we’re good for half a year now!”

“This is incredible, we only got some more money last week,” she said while shaking her head in disbelief. “How can someone have this much money and give it to us?”

“You guys don’t have any idea who it is?” Niles wondered softly.

“We can only guess that they don’t want us to know, else they would have given the money to us themselves,” Traci informed him. “Although we’ve never figured out why they use a rabbit, it’s a good way to get the money in without questions being asked. The first few times we found one, it was in a donation of toys for the kids. Now they just turn up anywhere in the church, all the kids know to shout us if they find one.”

So, Gavin was keeping an eye out for this place. But that still didn’t explain-

“Do you think it could be Chloe?” Niles asked. “Since she knows about all of you.”

“Oh heavens, no,” Traci laughed. “Chloe knows about us because someone very dear to her was treated here years ago and she has always promised to look out for us since. She spent a lot of years here by his side. But no, we know it wouldn’t be Chloe since Gavin volunteers here and he’d probably have said something.” That confirmed Niles’ suspicion that Gavin had once been one of the patients here. “Actually, he should be back by now, he was just grabbing some food.”

Another voice from the hallway caught their attention. “I sent him on a slight detour to pick up a few bits and pieces, I imagine he’ll be back any minute.” Everyone turned to see a blue-haired woman standing in the doorway, eyeing Niles suspiciously. “Alice, why don’t you head to see if he’s coming? I’m sure he’ll be using the back door given what he’s shifting around.”

“Okay!” Alice jumped up and scarpered off, leaving a slight tension in the room.

“Who the hell is this?” the new entrant wondered, to which Traci laughed.

“Relax, Trace. Chloe sent him here, we’re all good,” the auburn-haired woman confirmed. 

The other woman eased instantly and nudged Niles with her elbow. “Someone in with Chloe, huh? Well, anyone who can help out is welcome.”

“He’s a detective,” Traci went on. “Apparently Chloe told him that he could find something here to help with his case.”

“Really?” Tracey spun to give him a cynical look. “What could be here?”

“There are plenty of answers here, and I have all that I was looking for,” Niles confirmed. “In fact, I think it’s about time that I headed back to the precinct. While I might not have any issue with what you are doing, the same may not be said for some of my coworkers. I would hate for a long absence to spur them into investigating.”

“In that case, I’ll walk you out, Detective,” Traci offered.

“Actually, may I take one last look around, just so I can get a better understanding of everything that you are doing here?” Niles asked, looking for an excuse to get those few minutes where he might meet Gavin again. “I’d like to see all the lives that you are helping to change.”

Traci smiled. “Of course. Please, allow me to show you.”

Niles spent another ten minutes examining the church with Traci, enjoying learning about all the work the team of volunteers were doing. While some of them were simple everyday people who wanted to be there for the children, others were medical professionals who used what connections they could to get the children access to the hospitals and treatments they required. It was technically an illegal practice but Niles was in no doubt whatsoever about protecting their secret. 

No child here asked to be left behind by their broken and merciless healthcare system; if these people were willing to go out of their way to help them, then Niles was more than happy to turn a blind eye. 

Just as they were running out of things for him to see, Niles heard the happy chirp of a child from next door and a startled shout. “Hey!” His heart leapt at the voice, recognising it as one that had been in this thoughts a lot recently.

“What?” came the ‘innocent’ question.

“Just ‘cause I’m half robot doesn’t make me your personal climbing frame, Alice.” Niles smiled at the playful scolding. 

“Come on, Gavin! I can’t do this with anyone else, not even my dad!” she whined.

“That still doesn’t mean you get to jump on top of me from the window sill to see if you can knock me over.” Niles and Traci stopped as they saw the other pair come through from the next room, Alice clinging on to Gavin’s back and giggling as the man gave her a ‘glare’, but the smile on his face was a dead giveaway that he wasn’t mad in the slightest.

When Gavin looked over at the other two he froze on the spot, eyes wide. “Uhh…”

“Oh Gavin, you timed that well, Detective Anderson was just about to head away. Chloe sent him here to help with an investigation, and apparently he’s learned a lot about  _ something,  _ I have no idea what. Tell you what, why don’t you show him out while I get the monkey off you and back to her mother?” Traci suggested with a smile.

“No fair, I was going to ask Gavin to help out with my homework this time!” Alice complained. 

“Come on, Alice, Gavin’s busy. Let’s leave him to show the detective out and you can catch up with him soon.” Alice grumpily got off Gavin’s back and walked back through with Traci, leaving the pair alone. 

The tension was palpable and Niles could see that Gavin was seriously toying with bolting in the other direction. From what he’d seen and had now learned about the man, Niles knew that he wouldn’t have a hope of catching him, so he’d have to convince Gavin that his intentions were helpful instead of confrontational. “It’s nice to meet you properly, Gavin,” he greeted honestly, holding out a hand.

Gavin was still skittish, but eventually reached out to take the hand. “Yeah, you too, Detective,” he replied cautiously.

A soft smile came back from Niles and he took a chance, running a thumb along the outside of Gavin’s hand. “Please, Gavin. Call me Niles.”

Wide eyes finally eased and Gavin gave him a smile back. “Nice to know your parents weren’t that cruel and gave you a better name than ‘Nines’.”

Niles laughed.


	6. A Cost Too High

“How’d you even find Haven? I thought I’d covered my tracks to this place pretty damn well.”

Niles gave Gavin a reassuring smile from where they were sitting on an indoor ledge at the top of the church’s steeple, realising that his question came out of concern for the operation running there. “You can relax, Gavin. Had Chloe not pointed me here, I never would have had made the connection.”

Gavin sighed in irritation. “Goddammit Chloe…” He then realised something and looked at Nines uneasily. “How much did she tell you?”

“About Haven? Nothing, she just gave me the address. But what she told me of your history…I know why you do this now, and your connection here,” Niles told him with a small smile. “Rest assured that it will be going no further than me. I am quite happy to keep your, and their, secret.”

That earned a raised eyebrow (and a cautious look) from Gavin. “Okay…that I didn’t expect. What gives?” he wondered out loud. “It was one thing when you didn’t know who I was and had no actual proof to tie me to any of my crimes, but now it’s a different story. You know my name and who I really am-”

“And I know  _ why  _ you are a thief,” Niles smiled at him. “Of all the motivations I tried to come up with, this never would have entered my head. Thieves are notoriously selfish, as a general rule, so to find out that you’re channelling that money into saving lives…I would never dream of turning you in.”

“Even though I’m a thief?” Gavin smirked a little.

“The world isn’t as black and white as we like to pretend, there are shades of grey in between,” Niles told him pointedly, “and laws aren’t perfect. I will quite happily keep this in the dark and let you continue on – so long as my thoughts are right in that you’ve been stealing from the money laundering syndicate?”

“Mostly,” Gavin shrugged. “Picked off dealers and loan sharks to start with, I stumbled on the syndicate by accident after one of them tried to blackmail Chloe. I convinced her not to turn them to ash so that I could steal off them instead. She was quite happy with my idea, so she just keeps them quiet rather than making them vanish. As long as they don’t bother her again and they keep funnelling more cash for their own back pockets, I’ve got an easy source of income for Haven.”

Niles nodded appreciatively. “It is certainly an ingenious plan, and quite poetic if you ask me.” His eyes narrowed a little. “Are they the ones who are framing you?”

Gavin barked out a laugh. “Oh hell no, they only know as much as anyone else knows, I think. Nah, this problem’s a lot fucking closer to home…”

He sighed and stood from where there were sitting on the platform, dropping down so that he reached a balcony a floor down. Niles followed him a little more safely, not having the same agility and strength as Gavin, but he still reached the other man before Gavin continued his story. “How much did Chloe threaten you, out of curiosity? I can’t think that she’ll have taken kindly to you putting the dots together – even if it was mostly down to me revealing my ‘identity’.”

“She did not mince her words, that’s for sure,” Niles told him with a smile. “She is fiercely protective of you.”

“Yeah…” Gavin pulled his hand up and Niles was fascinated when he saw the skin peel away, revealing the android limb beneath. He couldn’t help but marvel at how Gavin was a medical marvel – as far as he knew, no-one had ever been fitted with more than a single android limb. It was deemed too dangerous and taxing on the brain, and it was notoriously painful. Niles could only guess as to what modifications Chloe had made to give Gavin his freedom back, and the pain Gavin went through in learning how to master movement again.

It wasn’t as if he’d just replaced a limb after all. Niles had seen from the diagrams that Elijah and Chloe had shown him that Gavin’s entire spine had collapsed on itself too. He would have had to relearn  _ everything _ . An undeniable admiration for Gavin rose up through Niles, which only strengthened the attraction that Niles was now not so loathe to admit. 

From the little signs he’d been picking up, Niles was optimistic that Gavin’s playful flirting in return was genuine. He didn’t think that his thief was the sort to toy with another’s feelings like that as part of a game.

Gavin’s sigh as he put his hand back down snapped Niles’ attention back to the other man. “Chloe created androids to give me a second chance at life – as much as she later wanted to give them sentience, her primary motivation was always me. I’m sure you can imagine that once I told her what I’d been getting up to in recent months, she didn’t take it too well that I was putting myself on the line.”

“I can’t imagine that conversation will have been easy,” Nines wondered.

“Nope, Chloe was furious at me – until I told her why. She was still angry, but she understood at the same time. I think I got through to her,” he smiled a little in remembrance. “But Chloe being Chloe, I should have known that wouldn’t be the end of it. I knew it was too easy to convince her that I would be all right. She’s not one to leave things to chance.”

Niles picked up from Gavin’s silence that this answer was going to be awkward. “If you’re about to tell me that Chloe’s got hush money lined up, I’m not going to be surprised. That kind of thing happens regularly,” he said plainly, not afraid to tell Gavin how it was. So many cases ended up getting swept away because of the money which came into play – it was a cruel fact, but it was true.

Gavin grimaced. “That would rankle, but I could almost live with that. No, what Chloe’s done…is something that sits a lot worse with me: and it’s created the mess of right now.

“Chloe decided not to take the risk of someone refusing a pay-off and came up with a grander plan. I exist, the ‘White Rabbit’ exists, so to hide if the Rabbit were ever caught would be a difficult task. So, rather than hide the Rabbit eventual capture…she decided it would be easier to simply trade the ensnared party.”

That caused Niles to blink at Gavin in shock. “Wait, are you saying that Chloe’s plan is to make  _ someone else  _ take the fall if you’re ever caught?” he whispered, revulsion rolling inside him.

“Yep, and not just that, but she  _ built  _ someone for it,” Gavin sighed. “Even after the revolution, Chloe built a new android that was undeviated for the sole purpose of acting as my personal insurance policy. He’s an EJ900, and upgraded version of Elijah, who Chloe christened Eric. I don’t know if you noticed or not, but Elijah is loosely based design-wise off me. I thought it was creepy as shit that Chloe made him close to me physically, but it worked for the purposes of testing out all the limbs that she intended for me.

“Eric…looks even closer to me. Close enough that humans wouldn’t be able to tell us apart from surveillance footage, and he is programmed to assimilate my full appearance if I ever got completely caught. All of my signatures, mannerisms, routines…Chloe uploaded it all to him. He was the perfect insurance.”

Niles crossed his arms and looked at Gavin curiously. “I’m guessing somebody deviated him then? Made him wake up?

Gavin sighed. “Yeah,  _ I _ did. I found out the strain of the deviant code that Chris used to wake everyone up from Elijah, and manually uploaded it to Eric. I felt awful that he’d essentially been built to be condemned if I ever fucked up. Chloe may have disagreed, saying that my life was worth more than his, but I couldn’t live with it. So I told him everything when I woke him up – why Chloe made him, the intentions behind it, who I am…Safe to say he didn’t take it well and vanished.

“Or rather, he vanished until about a week ago…” Gavin crumpled in on himself and turned away. “I understand that he’s bitter about why he was made, but he wasn’t bound by that fate anymore. Now that he’s a deviant, he could do whatever he wanted. Instead-”

“He’s decided to do to you what Chloe intended for him,” Niles realised. “Eric is framing you for these deaths so that when you’re caught, you’re not just a thief anymore. You’re a murderer.”

A short nod confirmed that Niles was right. “I guess it was too much to hope for that Eric could just forget and move on, especially when he knows so much about me,” Gavin whispered. “I am a criminal after all, and I’ve stolen millions. Guess this is karma in a way.”

Something about that sat poorly with Niles and he stood to lay a hand on Gavin’s shoulder. “Karma would be if you had been stealing for yourself and living a luxurious lifestyle off your takings, or if you had hurt anyone in your pursuit for that money. Gavin, you’re  _ saving  _ lives with what you are doing – if Eric can’t see that, past his own bitterness about his origins, then that’s his problem. You woke him up and gave him freedom, Eric is the one spitting that back in your face rather than show gratitude,” the detective told Gavin, but he could see that the other man was still unconvinced.

Turning him around, Niles tipped Gavin’s head up so that they were looking at each other. “Do you really think I’d be so willing to let you go and protect your secret if I had any doubts about your character? Speaking to Chloe and everyone at Haven had already convinced me before I got the chance to finally speak to you.”

Niles’ expression fell slightly and he looked down at Gavin’s leg. “I wish I’d believed you that night: trusted my instincts rather than just followed what my eyes had shown me. I could have helped you before now.”

Gavin shrugged. “Eric’s a perfect copycat, I don’t blame you for not believing me. Especially after the state I turned up in, confronting him alone definitely wasn’t my brightest idea. His morals are a little skewed and he’s already killed two people to try and frame me. I should have figured that he wouldn’t care about pulling the trigger on me.”

Tightness swirled in Niles’ chest and he didn’t keep the concern off his face. “Was he trying to kill you?”

“Nah, that defeats what he’s trying to accomplish. I think Eric is using me as a proxy for revenge against Chloe. If I go to jail for his own crimes, I think that’s the perfect justice in his mind. Speaking to him didn’t end well, and as a hybrid I’m not as effective in combat as a full android would be. One blow to my body and I’m a sitting duck.” Gavin lifted his shirt for Niles to see an almost black bruise on Gavin’s abdomen. “He socked me there to wind me before shooting me in the leg as a warning.”

Before he consciously thought about it, Niles reached out and ran a hand down the bruise, only realising what he was doing when he felt Gavin shiver under his touch. Pulling back gently, Niles looked Gavin in the eye and saw the slightly wild edge that lay there. “How are you now?” he asked, mouth already running dry.

Gavin swallowed and put his t-shirt down again. “Fine. I’m fine, yeah, I’ve got a stack of replacement limbs at home for if I fuck myself up. Chloe refused to let me do this without them, so I just switched out the leg. Bruise will take a lot longer, Eric wasn’t pulling his punch.” 

Despite the tension now simmering between them, neither man looked away. “Gavin, why did you start taunting me?” Niles asked softly. “Was it purely out of boredom?”

Niles could see how Gavin tensed a little before releasing it again. “To start with, yeah. I told you that first night when we met that I thought you might be interesting, I was getting a little frustrated with how little a challenge the DPD was posing. Given who I was stealing from, I honestly thought there would be more heat on me. Evidently not,” he smiled at the end.

“I don’t want to get caught, but I want a little thrill. Someone that keeps me on my toes to make sure I don’t get sloppy. That was why I approached you, gave you that little hint of my appearance to go off - you can imagine my surprise when it turned out that you’d not even told your superiors that you’d met me.”

Scowling, Niles looked at Gavin seriously. “How the hell do you know that?”

“I was at all the scenes you scoped out, Niles. I can sneak around and listen to various conversations,” Gavin told him pointedly. “Besides, I doubted that you would keep meeting me in such secrecy if you’d told them anything.”

That had Niles shrugging. “Okay, that’s fair; but you said that was to start with…?”

Gavin flushed a little. “I...I started just enjoying your company, honestly,” he said softly. “As you can imagine my life is a little lonely. I’ve got Chloe and I guess Elijah, but I have to keep them at a distance to make sure they don’t get caught up in my crimes should I get arrested. And as you can imagine, trusting someone and letting them know my ‘day job’, for lack of a better description, is out of the question. The only people I’ve got are those here at Haven, but even that kills me a little every day. No matter how much I help these kids, it never feels like enough…”

A gentle smile came to Niles’ face and he took Gavin’s hand tentatively. Gavin stared up at him in shock, but didn’t pull away. “You’re not the only one who enjoyed the little spark of interest that our meetings brought about - more than one person at the precinct has commented on how I seem to have been re-energised by this case. While that’s true to a degree, the honest reason is because I enjoyed seeing you more. Your sharp wit, your sense of humour, just you…

Niles dared to squeeze Gavin’s hand a little. “You do make a difference, Gavin, I saw that just from speaking to Traci and the others. They might not know that you are helping them twofold, both as a volunteer and their mystery benefactor, but your actions go a long way here. I feel honoured that I can try to protect this place. Although I have to ask...why doesn’t Chloe help out? I’m sure there’s a reason.”

“Yeah, she does kinda want to, but Chloe is such a major figure that everything she does is monitored by the state. Her finances, movements...you name it. She’d already landed in a lot of hot water when she had my medical records amended to remove all the mentions of my osteonecrosis and severe bouts of lupus, so she’s constantly watched. There’s no way she could keep funnelling money into Haven without someone connecting the dots, even if she did it via someone else, so I just do what I can instead. This place is something that we’re both determined to protect any way we can.”

Smiling a little softer, Niles linked their fingers together. “And that’s what makes you incredible.”

A quiet moan caught in Niles’ throat as Gavin surged forward and kissed him a little clumsily, but he wrapped his free hand around Gavin’s waist and held him close. The sheer  _ relief  _ was palpable, but it didn’t compare to the joy of knowing that he hadn’t been imagining the true chemistry between them. A few seconds later Gavin pulled away, a blush high on his cheeks. 

“Sorry, I’ve kinda been wanting to do that for a while now,” he admitted with a laugh. “You just caught me so off-guard with that, I couldn’t help myself.”

“I certainly am not complaining,” Niles smirked back before kissing Gavin again, enjoying how the other man melted against him. If anyone had told Niles that he would fall for one of his perps a few months ago, he would have happily tossed them ass over head into a dumpster. Now though...yeah, Niles knew he had it bad for Gavin, even more so now that he knew his beloved thief’s motivation. 

As they parted, Niles cupped Gavin’s face. “What are we going to do about Eric? You’re in danger as long as he’s out there,” Niles whispered. “The DPD are on maximum alert in looking for you now that you’re wanted as a murderer.”

Gavin sighed. “I don’t know, but I can make a good guess on where he’s heading next. I’ve been following a list of the syndicate that I found months ago, but I’ve been alternating from top and bottom as to who I go after next. Eric has no doubt been told of the pattern for covering me, so he’s probably going to follow that. My next raid was due for tonight, but I don’t know if he’ll follow through on that in case I try and stop him…”

“Or he could be looking for you to try and intervene, and then leave you crippled. Then the DPD have their White Rabbit,” Niles suggested. “Either way, you can’t face him alone: let me help you.”

“What?!” Gavin pulled back in shock. “No fucking way! Niles, Eric is one of the most advanced androids ever made and he’s trained to mimic everything I know. I might not use weapons, but I definitely know how to and I’ve learned a fuck ton of tricks to become a good thief. He’s slippery and dangerous-”

“And I’ve seen just how capable  _ you _ are,“ Niles soothed, wrapping an arm around Gavin’s waist. “While you may have human characteristics which could make you weaker in a fight against him, I know from Hank that androids have their limitations with imaginative thinking. That’s your edge over  _ him _ . Besides, I’ve had my fair share of tussles over the years, I know how to handle a ruthless perp with a taste for blood. The two of us against him might be enough to give us the edge.”

“Niles...this isn’t your fight. Why would you do this?” Gavin asked him softly, only to moan as Niles kissed him again.

When they separated again, Niles gave Gavin a resolute stare. “Because it’s the right thing to do, for so many reasons. A killer is taken off the streets, you’re free from his shadow and will be able to get back to your business. Besides…” Niles blushed a little as he chuckled. “I can hardly take you out on a date if I think someone might still be after you, can I?”

That caught Gavin off guard and he couldn’t stop himself from laughing with a blush of his own. “I don’t like it, but all right. Please don’t get yourself in a direct confrontation with Eric, he’s shown that he has little regard for human life,” Gavin pleaded. “Let me lure him out first. How good a shot are you?”

Smirking, Niles brought out his phone and showed Gavin an image of him with a sniper rifle. “Let’s just say that if I hadn’t decided to stay with my twin and worked together in the DPD, I’d have transferred over to SWAT to become a sniper.”

Impressed, Gavin smiled at him. “In that case, see if you can get a clean shot on Eric’s knees. They’re among the weakest components on an android and will shock him long enough for me to get him down. After that you can cuff him and bring him in.”

Niles eyes’ shadowed a little. “Gavin...Eric knows who you are. What if he offers up your identity in return for a deal?”

A sad smile came to Gavin’s face as he shrugged. “If that’s what it takes, I don’t care. I’ve managed to snag enough money to keep Haven going for a couple of years at least, and Chloe knows how I’ve been dropping it off. If I end up locked up, she knows how to help these guys out. Getting Eric off the streets is what truly matters.”

That caused Niles’ stomach and heart to both drop. “No, I won’t let them do it,” he declared. “I won’t let them make a deal with him. We can find evidence without a confession, he shouldn’t be getting a lighter sentence for double pre-meditated murder in return for giving you up!”

Gavin snorted cynically. “Niles, you know that’s not how the world works, and I’m a criminal. Regardless of the why, that’s  _ what _ I am. I accepted that a long time ago...and I’ve always been ready to face the consequences of that.” Smiling a little whimsically, Gavin turned towards the window and looked out of it. “You know, I used to dream about being a cop when I was younger, when I hopeful that they’d find a cure for or a way of managing my lupus. The irony is not lost on me that I ended up choosing a life of crime instead.

Lost for words, Niles followed Gavin’s gaze out the window and the two kept their hands linked as they remained in a subdued silence. 

Niles hated the thought that he’d have to give up his thief to bring in their copycat murderer, but he could see that Gavin was already prepared to accept whatever result came about - the detective wasn’t so ready for that.

But he didn’t know what other choice they had.

* * *

Swapping numbers, Niles and Gavin managed to come up with a plan. Gavin had long ago memorised Eric’s serial number and had managed to snag some technology from one of his earlier raids that let him track the errant EJ900 if Eric was active. It didn’t work if the other android was in stasis (which Eric had been doing much of recently, probably to avoid giving away his position), but the following day Gavin contacted Niles with the location that Eric had been scoping out - the location of their showdown.

An old dock in the harbour, one that was supposedly used for the import and export of various foreign spirits. Gavin showed Niles the recordings that proved it one of the main entry points for the syndicate to bring in outside products, and the detective gladly took a copy of it. He wouldn’t give Connor the evidence yet: one, that would look too suspicious to just have it pop out of nowhere and two, this was a prime spot for Gavin to steal from.

The syndicate couldn’t report any of the thefts here without blowing their operation, so it was a win-win for Gavin. He got goods to forward on for his contacts to trade on in the black market, and he didn’t have to worry about law enforcement coming in to sniff around if he stole too much. More hired guns were showing up every time he made a successful heist though, and Niles was worried by how many he saw when Gavin linked him up to a live stream from his phone.

And over in the far corner of the dock, Gavin pointed out a figure dressed identically to him that was surveying everything from inside a crane - Eric. Niles had wondered how the hell Gavin had spied him until the detective remembered that Chloe had made Eric to be a perfect copy for the purpose of taking the fall if Gavin ever got caught. For him to be believable in posing as Gavin, Eric would have to think like him and follow the same patterns.

Who better to catch a perfect copy than the original?

Gavin updated Niles on the shift patterns of the guards at the docks, and he also managed to snag a shipping manifest from the main office. Niles had no idea how Gavin could have possibly managed that, but he just shook his head in admiration. Truly his thief was a master of his art, and Niles acknowledged Gavin’s incredible bravery. The other man refused to carry anything more than a taser on him for self-defence, he wouldn’t use weapons.

Being so willing to wander into an area with over thirty armed guards without anything to truly fight back with, Niles was in awe. No way would he even entertain the idea of striding in there without his gun and a few extra clips to be on the safe side.

In fact, that was exactly what he was doing when he met Gavin three docks away at just gone 11pm, four days after Gavin had first clocked Eric at the site. They met with a small smile but no more: there could be time for that once Eric was in custody, but they couldn’t afford that distraction right now.

“Nice to see you aren’t leaving me high and dry,” Gavin smirked as Niles pulled up in his car. It was a little strange to now associate Gavin as his Rabbit, despite having known they were one in the same. The last time Niles had seen him in person though, he’d seen Gavin as himself, not as his ‘alter ego’ - for lack of a better terminology. 

Niles had to shake his head at that. The world would consider the White Rabbit a villain and criminal, but Niles knew him to in fact be quite heroic. It saddened him that Gavin’s bravery and selflessness would never be truly acknowledged. 

“I’d have liked to think that you know I am dogged in pursuing my suspects. Especially when they are killers,” Niles snarked back, earning a laugh from Gavin. “Or did you think I was being lazy in my efforts in catching you?”

“I dunno, I’m still free, aren’t I? Looks like you’re being lacklustre at best to me,” Gavin teased, eyes sparkling at the banter. Niles laughed, glad for the little moment before they prepared themselves for what lay ahead. 

Both of them knew that this wasn’t a social occasion though, and they each hardened their gazes as they looked across. This was business now. “The guards should be rotating in fifteen minutes. There’s always a fifteen minute window where they handover and have a briefing before the bulk of them come back out,” Gavin told Niles. “For that period, there will only be five of them covering the whole site rather than twenty eight. If Eric’s going to move on the ship, it’ll be then.”

“How many guards are on the ship?” Niles asked while Gavin gestured for him to get on a small dinghy just off the side of the pier. Sceptical, Niles raised an eyebrow at Gavin but did as he asked. He then understood Gavin’s plan when the hybrid then threw a black tarpaulin over both Niles and the dinghy. In the pitch black, it would be near impossible for anyone to tell the difference between them and the inky depths of the water. 

“There’s two outside and two on board,” Gavin said as he gave Niles his white jacket before slipping into the water and started pushing the dinghy across: the engine would be too loud. 

Niles shifted from where he was lying down on the dinghy and looked over the side at Gavin, though he was still under the covering. “Gavin, are you crazy?! You’ll freeze in that water!” he hissed.

“Nah, this doesn’t hurt,” Gavin told him with a smile. “Feeling my bones die and my body try to tear itself apart from lupus hurts, this is nothing. Besides, I’m not going to be in the water for long: my legs don’t get tired and are a lot more powerful than a human’s. We’ll be there in no time.”

That was difficult to gauge since Niles couldn’t see a damn thing from under the tarp, but he trusted Gavin. He certainly didn’t look to be in any pain, so Niles went with his gut and believed in Gavin’s words. Lying back down, he listened as Gavin’s head peered out from the black draping to see where they were going. Niles understood now why Gavin had tossed the white jacket in with him, that would be too obvious in the water. And at least it meant that something of Gavin’s stayed dry.

The minutes were long and excruciating: Niles feeling the way the dinghy drifted across the gentle sway of the water as Gavin pushed them along. He was glad that the weather was mild, that at least meant the water was not as cold as it might have been. Niles wished he could help Gavin more but he reluctantly acknowledged that Gavin’s state as a human-android hybrid made him much better equipped for this. 

Arriving at the right dock made Niles sigh in relief, and he heard talking up above as Gavin carefully placed them amongst a collection of other covered dinghies moored up just a small distance from their target. It was just discernible through the covering, and he carefully helped to haul Gavin up under the tarp and into the dinghy with him. The whole movement was soundless but Niles could feel how Gavin was a little cold, even if he didn’t seem to be reacting to it. 

Niles wrapped Gavin in his arms and guided his thief to lay alongside him, the two staying curled together as they listened to the conversation overhead. Gavin nestled in close, appreciating the body heat Niles could offer and the detective couldn’t stop himself from pressing a quick kiss to Gavin’s temple in reassurance. They stayed there for a couple of minutes until they heard the low dinging of a bell, to which Gavin tensed.

“That’s them swapping over, we need to get into our next position,” Gavin hissed under the cover, using a specially cut slit in the tarp to peer out up above. Once he was sure that it was clear, he flipped the side open and helped Niles to traverse across the outside of the other boats to get across. Once they were on the moorings, Niles handed Gavin his jacket back and the other man flipped up the hood, now back as the Rabbit properly.

“Thanks,” Gavin nodded at Niles with a quick smile before he kicked off a post to grab on to the edge of the concrete dock above. Niles couldn’t help but admire Gavin’s agility and waited patiently as the other man scoped the area. A short nod came back three seconds later. “We’re clear; there’s a ladder fifteen metres to your left. I’m going to get to the side of the warehouse to keep a lookout. Wait for my signal before you move across.

Nodding back at his thief, Niles crept his way along the wooden slats below as Gavin flipped up and raced across the open space. Once he reached the ladder, Niles was relieved to see that there were some old fishing crates that he could use for cover. Looking across the illuminated and open space of the dock, Niles spied Gavin had scrambled up a drainpipe at the side of the warehouse and was now acting as a sentry from on high. 

Gavin held out his hand, signalling for Niles to stay put as a guard walked past. Once he had moved beyond Niles’ position, the detective looked back up to Gavin but the thief shook his head with a serious look. Some dull thuds from the ship only ten metres away confirmed Niles’ suspicion from Gavin’s face - Eric had made his move and was dealing with the security on board. 

Finally Gavin beckoned Niles over silently and the detective sped across, diving into the door that Gavin had left askew for him. His thief ducked in a few seconds later, locking the door behind him again with a quick interface. “How do you do that since you’re not an android?” Niles asked in wonder.

Tapping the back of his head, Gavin smiled at Niles. “Remind me to show you the neural interfacer sometime when we have a moment, but inside that is the same decryption technology inside all the most advanced androids. Chloe upgraded it once she got a hold of the HK800 and HK900 schematics from CyberLife to give me the same capabilities. I’ve basically got a mini supercomputer linked up to all my limbs and my brain. It does the hard part after I tell it what to do; that’s the bare bones version of it anyway, it’s all way over my head. It works and that’s all I have to focus on.”

More banging came from outside and they shared a look. “You’re sure Eric will come through here?” Niles asked seriously. 

“He won’t take the dockside paths, too open. No-one goes through the buildings: it’s what I’d do.” Gavin winked at Niles. “And since he’s trying to be my copycat, that means he’ll be following my thinking as close as possible.” 

Scoping the warehouse, Gavin then pointed to a set of stacked shipping containers mounted on truck near the other end. “If I give you a leg up, can you get inside the higher one?” he asked as they started jogging across. 

“Yeah, but how the fuck do we get it open?” Niles asked, suddenly wondering why he’d ever doubted Gavin’s idea when he watched his thief leap up on the truck and use the handles to scale the side and hold himself there with ease. A single kick had the door swinging open and Gavin held a hand down for Niles. “I thought you were giving me a leg up?” he teased before jumping to grasp for Gavin’s hand.

Gavin snickered as he made sure they had a firm grip. “Technicalities. You ready?” Niles nodded at him. “Okay. One, two, three!” On three Gavin hauled Niles up and he was inside, Gavin kicking the other door of the container open so that it didn’t look too suspicious. Niles found some cover inside and shoved it to the front, giving him something to crouch behind as he waited for his shot.

“Eric will be done any second. Sit tight and look for an opening - but I’ll warn you, this might step up quick based off last time,” Gavin said as he jumped back down, but offered Niles a smirk. “A fight between two Rabbits can get feisty fast.”

Niles watched as Gavin kicked off some machinery and grasped some chains dangling down, completely stunned at the grace and speed with which his thief moved. No wonder he’d never been caught or seen when he could more like  _ that _ . In all honesty, Niles was more than a little jealous. 

The time for admiring came to a swift end though as Niles heard the beeping from the lock at the other end of the warehouse. Ducking down, he just peered around the edge of his cover as he saw what he could have sworn was Gavin running at speed, a large satchel on his back. That theory was quickly disproved, however, when Gavin swung violently from the chains above and went sailing towards Eric in a flying kick. 

With a thunderous crash the pair went tumbling, the bag flying off to the side, but Gavin was the faster one back to his feet. Eric’s hood had slipped off and Niles could now see just how similar they were - identical hair, scar on the nose and build. The only difference was in their slight facial structure. Eric really would be the perfect imitation of Gavin, he could see what Chloe was going for now. Still, he could tell Gavin apart because his thief’s clothes were clinging to him from the little swim. Niles suddenly wondered if Gavin had planned that as a way to tell them apart from the start, or if Gavin had that much faith in Niles’ skills of observation to be able to split them without any other aids.

He could feel the pressure mounting, but Niles made sure his gun was loaded as he watched the confrontation on the floor taking shape.

Gavin waved mockingly at Eric as the EJ900 stood up. “Hey shitbird, long time no see!” he taunted, but Niles could see how he was still ready to move at the slightest hint of danger. “Fancy meeting you here.”

Eric glowered at Gavin and sneered. “I thought I warned you off last time,” he growled while pulling a pistol with a silencer equipped from his waistband, which had Niles’ heart picking up speed. Despite his pleading with Gavin to take  _ something _ , his thief had still refused, intent on besting Eric without a weapon. “Was a bullet to the leg not enough?”

“Not with what you’re trying to do. Why, Eric? I helped you leave, I woke you up! You could have done anything, why kill people because of why you were made?” Gavin asked.

“That’s exactly  _ why, _ Gavin! I was made solely for the purpose of being your little insurance policy! Why should I be destined to end up in a jail cell because your rich sister happens to have a way to get you out?! No, this is me getting control of my life back - Chloe will never truly let me go, you know that as well as I do. Anything that she deems important is never left without her attention. If you end up in a prison cell though, I don’t have to worry about getting dragged back and reset to become your insurance policy again!” Eric shouted back.

The android raised his gun and fired, but Gavin was too quick and took cover behind some more equipment. “For the record, Gavin, I actually think you’re a decent enough guy: and I’m grateful that you woke me up,” Eric called afterwards. “But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re a thief, and that no-one should be left unaccountable for their actions!”

Niles watched as Gavin hurtled a wrench at Eric, and the android brushed it away with ease. Harm wasn’t Gavin intent though, and it gave the hybrid long enough to close the distance on Eric and for the two of them to engage in a fist fight. Gavin deftly bent out of the way of another shot, kicking at Eric’s legs to put the android off-balance. Eric used the change of momentum though and spun to line up another shot, to which Gavin just batted the android’s hand off course at the last second.

Unable to do much more than watch from where he was sheltering, Niles was stunned at the sheer  _ speed _ of their battle. Every move seemed to be instant, no reaction time, and Niles had to wonder how Gavin was keeping up with an android in combat. He wondered if it had something to do with the android components which made up most of his body now, but a punch landing to Gavin’s gut had Niles’ heart in his mouth.

While Gavin was mostly an android, his torso and head were still very much human and a lot more vulnerable. Body shots would cripple him, unlike Eric.

Despite being winded, Gavin managed to reach for his taser and jammed it into the joint of Eric’s wrist, causing the android to reel back as his systems stuttered from the shock. That gave Gavin enough time to get back to his feet and regain some of his breath, but Niles could see him tiring. 

Stamina was always going to be Gavin’s significant weakness in a battle like this - his heart and lungs were very much organic and had a limit, even if his limbs didn’t not anymore. There was only so long he could keep up a struggle of this intensity. 

Just as Niles was lining up to take a shot at Eric (and rapidly realising that it was going to be pure chance as to whether he hit Gavin or not, they were moving far too fast as they traded kicks and punches), the fight ended in an instant.

A whistle ripped right past Nines and he saw as Eric and Gavin both froze on the spot, their eyes drifting to Eric’s thirium pump regulator - it had been completely destroyed. Realising what had happened, Gavin snatched Eric’s gun as the android collapsed to his knees, the seconds counting down to his shutdown. Rather than point it at Eric however, Niles watched on in shock as Gavin pointed it straight down the warehouse and out the other door, past Niles’ position.

“I know that you’re there, Elijah! That was a fucking cowardly move!” Gavin shouted. Only a minute later, Niles saw Elijah come into view from where he was watching and his eyes locked onto the silenced sniper rifle that the EJ100 was carrying. 

Elijah had shot out Eric’s pump regulator, and it chilled Niles just how accurate he’d been despite the speed of the fight.

Gavin kept the gun pointed at Elijah, who seemed completely nonplussed about the weapon being pointed at him. Niles realised there must be something else going on if Gavin had willingly taken the gun and aimed it at someone Niles thought was Gavin’s friend.

“You looked like you needed the help,” Elijah shrugged, starting to break down the rifle piece by piece to be slotted into the backpack he wore.

“Not fucking like that!” Gavin snarled. “God, you and Chloe are just as bad as each other! He’s alive and you basically just shot out his heart! Just because she built him to be a puppet for if I ever got caught doesn’t mean he’s not entitled to the same right to live as you or I are!”

Elijah was unmoved though. “You know why I’m here, why Chloe sent me. We’re cleaning up our mess.”

Gavin glared at Elijah and fired a warning shot at the floor. “You’re not fucking taking him to reset his memory. I won’t let you destroy him just to protect me.”

Niles couldn’t believe what he was seeing. There it was - Gavin had the perfect opportunity to have his copycat be caught, without any trace being linked back to him, but he was refusing because he wouldn’t have Eric’s life be cast aside for the sake of his own. The affection that roared through Niles was balanced by his anguish at Gavin being so selfless. 

This was Gavin’s chance...but he wasn’t going to sacrifice Eric for his own freedom.

Spying that the crippled android was shocked too, Niles finally decided it was time to make his presence known and carefully climbed down from the shipping crate. Elijah turned but seemed unsurprised by Niles’ presence; he even gave the detective a small smile. “So you chose to help him after all,” Elijah said quietly. “Looks like Chloe was right to tell you everything.”

“Enough about that for now,” Gavin barked while lowering the gun. “Give me the spare pump that you’re carrying before Eric dies. As heartless as Chloe can be, I know she wouldn’t risk memory corruption and being unable to access him if he shuts down. Fix that first, and then we’ll keep talking.”

While Niles expected a fight, Elijah simply moved past Gavin and went to Eric, but Niles spied Gavin’s glare as the still able android opened Eric’s neck panel and jammed a stick in there. It soured Niles’ stomach to see Eric crumple to the ground, all but lifeless, and he felt the anger radiating off Gavin at Elijah’s complete lack of care or regard. Niles pressed his arm to Gavin’s shoulder, as reassuring a touch as he could provide at that moment, and he could feel Gavin minutely relax. 

Once Elijah has switched the regulator pumps and Gavin saw the damaged circuits change from a sickening and ominous red to a steady blue, he finally eased his stance properly. “Did you have to put him into an induced stasis?” Gavin hissed at Elijah. “You know yourself that it’s traumatic.”

“Well I couldn’t exactly have him upping and running once his systems had re-initialised, could I?” Elijah droned back while standing, putting the broken regulator in his backpack along with the rest of his rifle before slinging it back on. “And he won’t remember anyway.”

Gavin’s glare returned full force. “Chloe is  _ not _ resetting him. If you do, you’ll destroy who Eric is.”

“Gavin...maybe this is for the best,” Niles offered, wincing when he fell prey to Gavin’s stare himself. “Eric is clearly a little distrubed and struggling to come to terms with everything. Would it not be a mercy to help him forget all of that?” 

“Nothing in life is that simple, Niles, and I know Chloe.” He turned back to Elijah. “She’ll still cast Eric to the wolves even if he can’t remember anything of  _ why _ he’s being subjected to it! All for my sake…” he spat venomously, but Niles could read the guilt in Gavin’s posture.

“She’s not doing this, Elijah,” Gavin snarled. “If she does, I’ll march into a police station and confess to everything myself. She’d be hard pressed to stop that.”

Niles felt like his breath stopped as Elijah’s eyes narrowed at Gavin. “You’d throw all of this away and make it for nothing? After everything she’s done for you?”

Still, Gavin wouldn’t back down. “No-one should be unaccountable for their actions, me included. While I would hope that where I am repurposing all of the money would balance out my methods of obtaining it, if it takes me going in with my hands up to make sure she doesn’t sacrifice an innocent person to redress the balance instead, then so be it.”

It was only now that Niles heard the sirens which had piled up at the other end of the dock and he suddenly realised why reinforcements hadn’t flooded this area. Elijah and Chloe had created some sort of disturbance to make sure they wouldn’t be interrupted. He was honestly a little chilled by their methods, but he found himself in such an awkward position.

He could 100% understand Chloe’s mentality in wiping Eric’s memories to protect Gavin, but by the same token he knew himself that androids were alive. Niles believed in them have the same freedoms and rights to life as humans had. How much of a hypocrite did it then make him in thinking that it was right to destroy who Eric was for the sake of Gavin?

The churning in his stomach was something that Niles hadn’t been braced to deal with. Once again he wondered how Gavin could be so willing to face a lifetime of jail (or realistically become a political pawn as Chloe and the syndicate warred it out over his fate), without so much as flinching?

Elijah didn’t say anything else on the matter, but he did walk over to pick Eric up and throw the other android over his shoulder. Gavin and Niles watched as Elijah stalked off, but the EJ100 turned just long enough to offer them a dark smile. 

“I wouldn’t hang around, I’d say you’ll maybe have another ten minutes, if that, before the cavalry arrives. I’d get out of here while you still can.” He then vanished into the night at a run.

Taking the warning seriously, the pair shared a look before retracing their steps and heading back to the dinghy to collect Niles’ car.

But not without Eric’s loot. One look had confirmed that much of it would still be good to sell and the EJ900 had scavenged a few data drives that could be invaluable. Their plan to catch Eric may have gone completely awry, but at least Gavin had come away with something.

Niles really hoped that this wouldn’t be Gavin’s swan song, that his determination to not see Eric’s personage lost would cost him dearly in the end.

Gavin truly deserved better than that.


	7. Let The Games Begin

Niles hated how Gavin went silent after the late night showdown at the docks. He wasn’t entirely surprised, he could understand why it happened that way - after all, Niles knew that Gavin had given Elijah and Chloe quite the ultimatum. If Chloe was determined to wipe Eric’s knowledge of Gavin to protect her brother, then Gavin was intent on handing himself in recompense. It was agonising waiting, but the delay gave Niles a little hope.

Surely if they’d wiped Eric’s memory, Chloe would have done it already? As much as the lack of news was killing Niles a little inside every day as he went to work to hunt down their supposed killer thief, he couldn’t stop clinging to the logic that it must be a good sign. This had to mean they were trying to talk Eric around, right?

That hope died a painful and messy death after six days of not knowing. A call came in to the DPD about a wrecked android found in the south of the city, and a scan of their thirium markers matched the outstanding arrest warrant for their White Rabbit.

Eric.

Wandering into the precinct with a heavy heart, Niles made the trip down to the android repairs department to meet his team. What he didn’t expect was for Connor and Hank to be there instead, given the lack of people in the bullpen. “It’s quiet round here,” Niles commented as he met them just inside the room, doing his damnedest not to look at Eric too closely on the repair rig.

Connor offered him a tight smile before turning back to Eric. “I’ve sent all the others to the scene where this android was found, trying to work out what happened to him. In all honesty...he’s a mess.”

That was an understatement and Niles felt his stomach roll when he did finally look up at Eric. His thirium pump was completely missing and the number of damaged or open wires across the whole right hand side of his body made Niles have to fight not to look away. Eric hadn’t looked anything like this bad when Elijah had taken him, it almost looked like he’d been…

He stopped that train of thought right there. No point speculating while he could see Hank interfacing with the computer linked to the rig. Niles would have his answers about what happened to Eric soon enough.

The twins waited patiently as they saw streams of data streaming across the screen, and finally Hank’s LED stopped blinking. It stayed yellow however, which did nothing for Niles’ nerves. 

“Well, I’ve got a confirmed match on the thirium markers, and now a model number. EJ900 #883 619 022. No idea of a name or where he came from though,” Hank sighed as he stepped back. “It’s a perfect match to what was left on the stuffed rabbit from our murders, so I think we can safely say that this is our White Rabbit.”

“Can we reactivate him or access his memory core?” Connor asked as delicately as he could, which Niles took new respect in after everything he’d learned about Eric. Before he wouldn’t have had so many ethical questions about simply diving into Eric’s memories given he would have perceived the android as his elusive White Rabbit. A serial thief and murderer.

Niles knew he was in trouble - being privy to Gavin’s true identity and motivation meant he was treading very dangerous ground here, he was going to have to work very hard to not let his divided loyalties show during this examination.

He really didn’t know how he was going to react to whatever the result of scanning Eric’s memories showed. Either way, he had to keep it clamped down hard.

Hank shook his head in mild annoyance. “His power systems have been overloaded and his memory core’s fried. Whatever happened to our Rabbit, he’s completely gone. Personality, memories...There’s nothing left of him. All we’ve got now is a corpse,” he said morbidly. “The damage to his system is severe, and the overload was the final nail in the coffin. In all honesty, it looks like he was tortured before the end.”

Everything in Niles’ stomach soured bitterly. Had Chloe really tortured Eric to try and get him to agree to protect Gavin, and when he hadn’t played ball Chloe destroyed him? Niles hated the thought, but he’d seen how cold Elijah had been at the docks, how Gavin himself had threatened Elijah with a gun in an effort to protect the man that was trying to frame him for such heinous crimes. 

“So all we’ve got are the thirium markers?” Connor sighed while pinching his nose tiredly. 

“It’s enough to tie this android to being at the scene of the murders, and it lines up with everything we know about the Rabbit,” Niles bit out bitterly. “It might be shit, but it is what it is. Someone found out who he was, and when he didn’t give them what he wanted, they killed him.” 

Niles angrily strode up to Eric and stared at his remains. “What a fucking waste,” he spat before storming out, not caring of how he slammed the glass door behind him.

Chloe had made sure Eric fulfilled his purpose - and now Niles was fearing that Gavin was going to offer himself as a sacrificial lamb for nothing.

He thundered his way up to the roof and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it up before striding over to the far end of the roof. Leaning on the railings there, Niles let out a snort of disgust. This case had messed with his head far too fucking much.

“Room for company?”

Snapping his head around Niles couldn’t help but smile at seeing his beloved thief stood only a few metres away. “Gavin,” he whispered in relief before laughing a little. “I was wondering if I’d see you again.”

Gavin smiled sadly at him and wandered next to Niles at the railings, leaning over himself. “Yeah, I was wondering that myself for a while,” he admitted, and the pair then fell into a slightly tense, yet comforting silence next to each other. It was only after Niles had taken a few more drags of his cigarette that Gavin looked at him again. “Take it you found the body then?”

Niles chuckled bitterly. “We found Eric, yeah. Nothing left of him, his whole system was fried and the memory core destroyed. He’s...just gone,” he breathed out harshly.

What he didn’t expect was for Gavin to snigger. “Well I’m glad you said that, because it means Chloe actually did what she said she was going to do. That is some relief.”

Turning to face Gavin in shock, Niles stared at him wide-eyed. “What?”

Gavin smirked lightly at Niles. “Do you really think that the women who created androids wouldn’t know how to plant the markers that make each android’s thirium identifiable?” he asked pointedly. “Chloe knew I was being dead serious, she knew that I’d hand myself in if she didn’t let Eric go - so she’ll have built another EJ900 and never gave it any cognitive capabilities, while infusing it with some of Eric’s blood. Just enough to make it a perfect copy. That body is nothing more than a shell that she’s messed around with to make it look like Eric.”

“And you’re sure of this?” Niles whispered, almost scared to hope.

A phone was pulled out Gavin showed Niles a message which he’d received only an hour ago. One look at the serial number confirmed that it was indeed sent from the android which was supposedly dead downstairs.

** _I’m not sure why you did it, Gavin. I meant what I said in that you’re a decent enough guy, but I can’t just accept that this is over. You’re a criminal and I’m your insurance policy. Chloe won’t let me go that easy, you know that._ **

** _Still, regardless of all that...thank you. We’ll cross paths again, but I’m not sure how that lines up yet. Until then._ **

“Maybe something good has come out of this after all,” Gavin offered with a tiny smile. “Eric’s free, the DPD have their murderer, and I’m in the clear. Gotta tell you, I was kind of resigned to my ass getting nailed to a wall,” he chuckled. “I didn’t see how I was getting out of this one, either way. I guess my thieving days go on, thanks to my sister’s somewhat morally grey genius.”

Niles smiled a little. “Then I guess she and I actually do have something in common: get the job done, even if you’ve got to bend a few rules on the way.”

Gavin raised an eyebrow at Niles. “Don’t compare yourself to my sister, seriously. She doesn’t bend rules, she makes new ones so that the game is to her liking. As much as I love Chloe and would do almost anything she asked of me, I know that my little sister has some...questionable personality traits. Then again, I suppose it’s what got her to where she is now, so maybe I’m not one to judge.”

Peeling away the skin on his hands, Gavin looked at them with a conflicted expression. “I do owe her everything, after all.”

He didn’t expect for Niles to reach over and grab his hand while it was still uncovered, lacing his very human fingers in between plastic ones. “You owe her a lot, it’s true, but that doesn’t mean that you have to agree with everything she does. As her brother, you’re one of the few people that she might listen to and stop her from going too far. You did that with Eric, and that speaks volumes of _ your _character, Gavin. I’m in awe of how you stood there and told Elijah without a shred of doubt that you would hand yourself in if she hurt Eric.”

Turning Gavin towards him, Niles then smiled down at his beloved thief. “You’re a good man, Gavin: even if the world doesn’t know that.”

Smiling softly at Niles, Gavin leant up and stole a kiss from the detective. “Well, I guess I can live with one more person knowing who I really am, so long as you’re prepared for the price of that knowledge.”

Niles smirked. “Who better to give you enough tips to stay ahead of the cops than the man in charge of the investigation against you? But I have to warn you, I won’t be slacking just because I’m playing both sides.”

That earned a joyful laugh from Gavin, who winked at Niles before pulling away slightly to leap over the railing. His eyes sparkled with mirth while he eyes Niles with a coy smile. “So would I be right in thinking that since I’m still around, this means we can plan a date?”

“Well, that depends on if I can convince a certain White Rabbit to take a break for a night or not,” Niles teased, mouth quirked up in interest. 

“And who says I have to give up a night to you, Detective Anderson?” Gavin purred. “What’s wrong with a nice little lunch date, or is that not up to your exacting standards?”

“There’s nothing wrong with it, but it might not be what I had in mind,” Niles growled back at him before bringing Gavin in for a passionate kiss. Gavin moaned softly as the two of them fought for dominance of it, the pair coming apart with a flush to their cheeks. Niles quickly nipped on Gavin’s lower lip again with a wink. “Or was that not clear enough?”

Gavin smirked again and eyes Niles appreciatively. “You know I make good money in a night, Niles. You’re going to have to work hard on something tempting enough for me to take one off.”

“Am _ I _not tempting?” the detective teased, mildly surprised when Gavin pressed a finger to his lips to silence him.

“You’re always been too damn tempting. That’s what’s got me in this mess in the first place,” the thief whispered to him, before leaning back and falling over the edge. 

Niles could only watch in awe as Gavin kicked off the side of the precinct and rolled on to the next roof, saluting Niles mockingly. “You’re gonna have to try harder than that, dipshit!” he called up before making a show of sending Niles a message from his phone and then pocketing it again.

With a last fond smile, Gavin turned and raced off into the distance.

Still with his own besotted smile on his face, Niles couldn’t stop himself from looking down at his own phone and beaming at the message there.

** _You free tomorrow?_ **

He typed out his replies as he descended back into the precinct. 

_ Only in the evening I’m afraid, I work mostly early shifts. _

** _Shame, I wasn’t kidding about a lunch date. I’m kinda busy._ **

_ And what exactly are you up to tomorrow night, that I cannot tempt you? _

** _You’ll find out, dipshit ;)_ **

Rolling his eyes, Niles made it back to the bullpen, only to find Connor with a face like thunder as he stared into a box on his desk, Hank chuckling at his own nearby. Curious, Niles walked over and peered inside, only to burst out laughing.

Inside was Gavin’s signature stuffed white rabbit, complete with a note.

_ You didn’t really think I was ever _ ** _that_ ** _ careless, did you? Copycats can’t match the original. Better luck next time! _

Connor picked up the box and slammed it into Niles’ chest. “Looks like you’ve still got an investigation after all,” he bit out. “This fucking Rabbit is taunting us and I don’t like it. You’d better find out who he is, Nines.”

It took everything Niles had not to smirk at being so many steps ahead of that. He could only imagine his twin’s face if Connor knew just how intertwined Niles had become with Gavin.

“Don’t worry, Connor, I think this is just the start of our adventure with the White Rabbit. I get the feeling he’ll be around for a long time to come,” he said instead, secretly hoping that it was true.

For the first time in he didn’t know how long, he was looking forward to the future. A future that had been sparked to life by his beloved thief.

As he got back to his desk, he sent a message to Gavin and smiled at the reply.

_ Game on, my lovely Rabbit. _

** _Catch me if you can, Detective. Let the games begin!_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for joining me on this crazy adventure. As I'm sure you've all seen, I've fallen in love with this universe to such a degree that I've decided to make this a series. I have big plans for Niles and his thief, and you'll get to see more in the future: including all the rest of the characters. Here's hoping you'll all join me for it!
> 
> Come check me out on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/SkyeWillows) and [Tumblr](https://skyewillows.tumblr.com), or ask for my Discord to scream at me on there! All screams welcome!
> 
> I am a slave to all forms of feedback (kudos, subs, bookmarks and especially comments), so please feel free to indulge me.
> 
> Until the next time everyone!


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